Recent statistics from the Environmental Protection Department have indicated that the average daily disposal quantity of plastic bags in 2017 rose to 793 metric tons, just short of the 867 ton level recorded in 2008, a year before the levy scheme was introduced. They are landscaped to provide green zones and can be developed into different public recreational uses such as golf driving ranges and courses, multi-purpose grass pitches, recreational parks and ecological park. The following 8 types of recyclables can be delivered to Community Recycling Network, including GREEN@COMMUNITY and Community Recycling Centres. They help both to conserve natural resources and to reduce demand for valuable landfill space. This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning. Waste reduction and recycling are very important elements of the local waste management framework. Our landfills will not be able to bear the burden of the city’s waste for much longer. To meet the city’s demand for waste disposal, the. Waste Paper. According to WWF Hong Kong, about 80% of the city’s marine litter is plastic, especially disposable products such as plastic bottles, plastic bags and packaging material. The question arises as the government hopes to slash the amount of rubbish generated by 40 per cent by 2020, partly through the planned introduction of … For green groups in Hong Kong, the responsibility must lie across all industries and government stakeholders to improve the dire state of collection and recycling in the city. There are 512 recycle bin suppliers, mainly located in Asia. The move will decrease the number of rubbish bins by 40 per cent to 24,300, and increase recycling bins by 45 per cent to 4,000. Separating our plastic waste and putting it into recycling bins is simply not enough – we must eliminate as many plastics from our lives as possible, from buying packaging-free produce and upcycling existing plastic materials at home. Recycling bins full to overflowing in Wan Chai in June 2019. “Plastic Free Seas is part of the multi-stakeholder Drink Without Waste initiative reducing waste from beverage consumption. Photo: Bloomberg Revealing the findings last week, the journalists located 7 of the devices in landfills in Nim Wan and Lin Ma Hang in New Territories, and 2 devices were tracked to waste collection stations across Kowloon. Kwun Tong: Directory of Private Collector/Recycler: Hong Kong Recycling Company Limited: Unit 2-3, 19/F, Kowloon Plaza, 485 Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kln. However, for the majority of Hong Kong households, the problem lies in overconsumption of plastics, especially single-use products. Our mission is to shift consumer behaviour through our authentic, original and ground-breaking content. Shockingly, five of the nine housing estates sending recyclable waste to landfills and waste collection stations had been awarded under the Environment Protection Department’s (EPD) Source Separation of Domestic Waste Award Scheme in 2018/2019. Therefore, it has dished out the ‘GO Recycling Bins… So far, over 580 applications have been approved for the funds, which have provided over HKD$90 million to recyclers in the past few months. We INSPIRE. It is important that we make good use of the waste separation bins … The association also urged property management companies and housing estates to disclose the names of recyclers, something that is not currently done, meaning that residents have no channels to monitor recyclers. per person of solid waste to landfills every day; in 2013, the Hong Kong government set a target that, by 2022, each person would throw away. While there is no universal standard, the color blue is commonly used to indicate a bin is for recycling in public settings, however, the color green may also be used in some regions, on some bins. Of these 9 housing estates that sent recyclable waste to landfills and waste collection stations, reporters found that 5 of the buildings had previously been awarded under the Environment Protection Department’s (EPD) waste separation and collection scheme in 2019. You might also like: Asia’s Battle Against Plastic Waste. https%3A%2F%2Fearth.org%2Fplastic-in-hong-kong-recycling-bins-sent-to-landfills%2F. A recent investigation by Hong Kong local news media HK01 has revealed that plastic bottles collected in recycling bins at residential housing estates have been sent to landfills. Cosmetics: Unlikely Food & Beauty Duo Unveil Menu-Inspired Vegan Makeup Line, Food Safety & Nutrition Top Motivators For Chinese Consumers To Adopt Cell-Based Meat, Study Finds, Oatly Chooses U.K. To Open One Of The Biggest Plant-Based Dairy Factories In The World In 2023, 931 Million Tonnes Of Food Sold Is Being Wasted, New U.N. Food Waste Index Reveals, ‘Refill Is The Way’ At 2 New Filipino Zero Waste Initiatives– Exclusive Extract From GAIA Book. While the government introduced a centralised plastic collection programme in October 2019, the latest investigative report suggests that these efforts fall far from the mark. It is vital that we reduce our use of plastic on a personal consumption level, but it is also imperative that the Hong Kong government -and others- implement effective recycling measures and financially incentivise recyclers to collect plastic waste. Passionate about the environment, social issues and health, she is always looking into the latest climate stories in Hong Kong and beyond. The city sent a total of 5.87 million tonnes of solid waste to local landfills in 2018. This targeted Boosting – helps us to reach wider audiences – aiming to convince the unconvinced, to inform the uninformed, to enlighten the dogmatic. There are also doubts being raised about whether some waste collectors just lump everything from the recycling bins together and take them to the landfi ll. The association also urged property management companies and housing estates to disclose the names of recyclers, something that is not currently done, meaning that residents have no channels to monitor recyclers. Hong Kong recycling operations can no longer export local scrap paper to the mainland due to a national ban on importing foreign solid waste. The price of recycled plastics has been in decline since 2018. The city sent a total of 5.87 million tonnes of solid waste to local landfills in 2018. The results suggest that the majority of items placed in recycling bins in residential buildings are not being properly recycled. For example, our school has two sets of these bins as shown in the pictures. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In 2018, Hong Kongers sent an average of 1.53kgs per person of solid waste to landfills every day; in 2013, the Hong Kong government set a target that, by 2022, each person would throw away no more than 0.8kg of waste per day. Further, in June 2019, recycling prices for paper and cardboard were slashed by nearly half, adding to the woes of waste collectors in Hong Kong and contributing to a buildup of waste in landfills, which are, projected to be full by the end of the year, . They ended up inventing a brilliant set of new and improved recycle bins. ... Why a 5 cent bottle recycling rebate makes sense for Hong Kong. Using plastic bottles wired with GPS trackers, the journalists located that out of 14 housing estates, both public and private, the plastic contents in recycling bins of 9 buildings were not being recycled. hong kong government environmental protection department. Each Share makes a difference and potentially gets our article in front of many times the number without shares. Just 30% of solid waste was recycled in the city in 2018, which is made all the more concerning due to the fact that recycling facilities in the city are very basic, sorted by hand. According to local environmental group, Green Sense, one kilogram of collected, separated and processed plastic waste may generate HKD$0.30- $0.50 for recyclers. In 2016, just 14% of plastic was recycled and in 2017, it was estimated that Hong Kong threw away. Juptech Recycling Company Info Phone Unit 33 13/f. Last year, investigative reporters at HK01 wired GPS trackers onto a number of plastic bottles that were then put inside the recycling bins of 14 public and private housing estates in Hong Kong. 835 BINs Found Waste Management Waste Bins Agricultural Waste Waste Paper Textile Waste. While I applaud Hong Kong’s introduction of the . By signing up, you agree to receive emails from Green Queen Media. Founded by serial entrepreneur Sonalie Figueiras in 2011, Green Queen is an award-winning sustainability & impact media platform advocating for social & environmental change in Asia. One estate, Metropolis Phase 2, has received the highest “Diamond Grade” for two consecutive years. Others expressed that the collectors responsible for recycling had not visited the buildings for over 6 months, and therefore cleaners had little choice but to send them to municipal waste management to prevent recyclable plastics from spilling out of binds. Find list of BINs issued by Banks in Hong Kong. An investigation by Hong Kong news media outlet HK01 has found that nearly two-thirds of housing estates surveyed, both public and private, have sent plastic bottles collected in recycling bins to landfills. and found that nine were sending plastic bottles intended to be recycled to landfills. My reply to the Hon Kwok's question is as follows: (1) The Government currently provides some 2 800 sets of waste separation bins in public places (such as pavements, public transport interchanges, refuse collection points, parks, leisure and cultural facilities, etc, not including country parks). Local environmental group Greeners Action has found that less than 39 per cent of the materials founds in Hong Kong’s 4-in-1 recycling bins had been disposed of correctly. While recycling remains inadequate in the city, and regulations over businesses to cut unnecessary packaging across the supply chain remains sparse, we must reflect on our individual consumption habits. Runners in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon left a pile of banana peels in recycling bins and a trail of paper cups on the roadside following Sunday’s event. The scheme was formally introduced in 2018 and taxes residents according to how much waste they send to landfills. Upon collection of 5 stamps or above, you will receive a reward and member bonus points. However, there has been a delay in the implementation of the Legislative Council’s Municipal Solid Waste Charging Scheme (WCS). Plastic In Hong Kong Recycling Bins Sent To Landfills, Investigation Finds, "Financial Feminism: A Woman’s Guide to Investin, Today is World Wildlife Day #WWD2021 and we a, EAT PLANT-BASED TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE