HONG KONG 2005

In December 2005, the Government published 'A Policy Framework for the Management of Municipal Solid Waste (2005-2014)'. The policy framework sets out the strategy and measures to address the municipal solid waste problem in Hong Kong over the next decade and proposes simple yet effective economic tools that will create incentives for the community to recycle more and discard less.

Waste reduction and recovery has always played an important role in waste management, resulting in the export of substantial quantities of recovered waste materials for re-manufacturing outside Hong Kong. In all, about 2.4 million tonnes of waste materials — including paper, metals and plastic — were exported in 2005, generating export earnings of about $4.5 billion.

In January 2005, the Government introduced a territory-wide waste recovery programme to facilitate waste separation at household level. To encourage more housing estates and residential buildings to participate in the programme, the Environment and Conservation Fund has allocated $5 million towards the provision of waste separation facilities for buildings. The recovery programme aims to cover 80 per cent of the population by 2010. The Government is also promoting local recycling, with the development of a 20-hectare EcoPark in Tuen Mun Area 38 for exclusive use by the recycling and environmental industry. Phase I of the two-phase project, with an area of about 8 hectares, will be commissioned towards the end of 2006 and Phase II in 2009.

The main thrust of the strategy is to implement the polluter pays principle through solid waste disposal charges and producer responsibility schemes. The Government proposes to introduce schemes that hold manufacturers, importers, retailers and consumers responsible for what they produce and consume. The Government aims to introduce the Product Eco-responsibility Bill into the Legislative Council in 2006 to provide a legal framework for such schemes. Drawing on the experience of the construction waste charging scheme which was launched in December 2005, the Government plans to introduce legislation on municipal solid waste charging by 2007 as a direct economic incentive to avoid and reduce waste.

All municipal solid waste is disposed of at three large modern landfills in the New Territories. Specialist waste management contractors operate these landfills to high environmental standards.

The community disposed of about 9 380 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day in 2005. Of this, 6 830 tonnes was domestic waste and 2 550 tonnes was commercial and industrial waste. On average, each person in Hong Kong disposed of about 1.35 kilograms of municipal solid waste daily.

In 2005, it was estimated that the three landfills would be full in six to 10 years and the Government initiated feasibility and environmental impact assessment studies on possible landfill extension schemes to ensure the continuity of final disposal outlets for wastes that cannot be recycled or further treated.

Hong Kong has 13 old landfills. For safety and environmental reasons, restoration measures have been taken at these landfills, and restoration of 12 of them has been completed. The last landfill, at Pillar Point Valley, will be restored by mid-2006. After full restoration, the sites will be used primarily for community and recreational activities.

The network of refuse transfer stations forms an important component of the Government's waste disposal facilities. Waste collected in urban centres is delivered to these stations, where it is compacted into sealed containers for delivery to the three landfills.

Six modern transfer stations and one set of Outlying Island Transfer Facilities handle 5 490 tonnes of waste every day. This is mostly domestic waste, and represents around 80 per cent of Hong Kong's total daily domestic waste production. Six of these transfer facilities — the stations at Hong Kong Island East, Hong Kong Island West, West Kowloon, North Lantau, Northwest New Territories and Ma Wan — also provide services to private waste collectors.

The widespread malpractice of dumping chemical waste into sewers and surface waters was stopped by the introduction of comprehensive controls on handling and disposal. All chemical waste producers are required to pack, label and store their chemical wastes correctly before disposal at licensed treatment facilities. A trip ticket system — involving the waste producers, licensed collectors and licensed disposal points — tracks the movement of chemical waste from its origin to the final disposal point.

In 2005, a daily average of 103 tonnes of chemical waste, including waste from sea-going vessels, was treated at the Chemical Waste Treatment Centre on Tsing Yi Island, the main treatment facility for chemical waste. A government contractor operates the treatment centre. Waste producers using its services are required to pay part of the treatment cost.

In May 2005, the Waste Disposal (Amendment) Bill was introduced into the Legislative Council to control clinical waste, which, if improperly handled, can cause public health risks. The Bill is being examined by a Bills Committee set up by the Legislative Council. Subject to the passage of the Bill and related subsidiary legislation, the Government intends to take control of clinical waste in 2007. The Chemical Waste Treatment Centre will need to be modified to receive clinical waste.

The construction industry generated an average 59 000 tonnes of construction waste every day. Of that, about 89 per cent was suitable for re-use in reclamation projects. As most local reclamation projects have been suspended, the Government plans to deliver the inert materials to the Mainland for re-use in reclamation projects.

Hong Kong has to deal with a large volume of non-recyclable waste and needs new facilities to treat such waste and reduce its volume. The facilities will need to meet the highest international environmental standards and be cost-effective. A group of advisers, mostly from outside the Government, has recommended that a multi-technology approach should be adopted so that the most suitable technology can be applied to deal with wastes that differ in nature. It should include biological treatment, mechanical-biological treatment and one of the thermal technologies such as incineration. The Government aims to commission the large-scale waste treatment facilities in the mid 2010s. However, even with such facilities, there is residual waste that must be handled safely. Hence, Hong Kong will continue to require landfills for the final disposal of waste.

Controls on the import and export of waste under the Waste Disposal Ordinance ban the importation of hazardous waste from developed countries (mainly members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Union). The controls are in line with the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.

The convention's main control mechanism requires notification and consent by authorities of the states of origin, destination and transit before the shipment of hazardous or non-recyclable waste can begin.

In January 2000, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the HKSAR and the Mainland to strengthen control of hazardous waste movement between the two places.

Under the ordinance, it is an offence to import or export hazardous waste, regardless of its purpose, into or out of Hong Kong without a permit. In 2005, there were 43 prosecutions for illegal import and export of waste, with fines totalling $338,500. Most of these offences were related to trans-shipment of hazardous electronic waste through Hong Kong to other places in the Asia-Pacific Region. The EPD, with the aid of both local and overseas control authorities, began stepping up enforcement against these illegal activities in early 2004.

The Marine Department deploys a fleet of about 70 contractors' vessels to collect floating refuse and refuse from vessels. In 2005, 14 985 tonnes were collected. The Government has also tackled the floating refuse problem by raising public awareness through publicity and educational activities, and deterring marine littering by means of enforcement.

Hong Kong's development projects continue to generate vast quantities of dredged mud that is unsuitable for reclamation or other uses (19.8 million cubic metres in 2005). It is dumped at sea in specified mud disposal areas under a permit system. Regular monitoring is undertaken by the Government to make sure that dumping operations do not create an unacceptable impact on the marine environment. Because of the serious potential impact of illegal dumping on the marine environment, the EPD maintains strict control over dumping operations under the Dumping at Sea Ordinance. These operations follow the requirements of the London Convention on marine dumping.

Marine dumping permits allow operations to be carried out only by a vessel equipped with an automatic self-monitoring device. This device tracks all marine dumping operations by recording the position and draught of the vessel, so that the authorities can trace any illegal dumping in a cost-effective manner. Moreover, the department's inspectors operate frequent patrols. There were three prosecutions for illegal dumping offences in 2005.

The assessment of progress towards achieving policy goals is one of the EPD's key activities. Its routine monitoring and special investigations form the basis for much of the strategic planning, provision of facilities and statutory controls aimed at improving the environment. The department has 94 sampling stations in the marine waters, including enclosed bays and typhoon shelters, and another 82 stations for inland waters. It also keeps 41 bathing beaches under surveillance.

The current water quality monitoring programme provides a comprehensive record of the chemical, physical and microbiological quality of Hong Kong's waters. The monitoring data is depicted in the annual water quality reports available on the EPD's home page. Information on the latest water quality of the major marine and river stations is also published quarterly on the home page. As the public are usually more interested in the latest water quality grades of bathing beaches, such details are issued on a weekly basis to the media and frequently updated on the department's website.