RECOVERY PROGRAMME
Every year, 1.5 million pieces of used computers and electic appliance are disposed by Hong Kong families. Part of the disposals can still work normally therefore we should reuse it as much as possible. All the functionable parts and material, including metal and plastic, is reusable and recollectable. Since January 2003, the EPD has launched a used computer and electric appliance recolleciton program to reduce amount of those disposed in landfill. The program gains public support and is expected to recollect and process up to 40,000 pieces of used computer and electric appliance.

GOVERNMENT’S SOLUTION ON WASTE PROBLEMS

The Waste Disposal Plan, published in 1989, sets out a strategy for municipal solid waste disposal in Hong Kong. Old waste facilities have been phased out and new, cost-effective facilities have been built to higher environmental standards, under the management of the Environmental Protection Department.

The Policy Framework for the Management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) (2005-2014) published in December 2005 sets out a comprehensive strategy for the management of MSW in Hong Kong with clear targets and timetables for the ten years from 2005 to 2014. The Policy Framework is built on the three-tiered approach: (i) avoidance and minimization; (ii) reuse, recovery and recycling and (iii) bulk reduction and disposal. While waste avoidance and recovery will remain to be the top priority and other modern waste treatment technologies will be employed in future for the treatment of waste, it is important to recognize that landfills will always be needed as a final means of disposal for unrecyclable wastes and waste residues after treatment. As the existing landfills are running out of space, the EPD has commissioned engineering and environmental studies to look into the feasibility of extending the existing three strategic landfills. The EPD has been implementing several waste-reduction plans in recent years and a key point of that is the recollection and reuse of the waste.

RESPONSIBILITY
Dr. The Honorable Sarah Liao, JP, Secretary for the Environment announced Policy Framework for the Management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) (2005-2014). This Policy Framework advocates what we plan to do to tackle our waste problem head-on. Its core message is clear and simple: we must be responsible for what we consume and what we dispose of. We must all be responsible for avoiding, reducing, reusing, recycling and treating waste, and use our landfills as a final repository only for the unavoidable waste after waste treatment.