Hong Kong 2003
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Waste Management

Waste Reduction

In November 1998, the Government launched a 10-year Waste Reduction Framework Plan. This was a response to the rapid growth in the amount of waste being dumped in the landfills, leading to a significant reduction in their expected lifespan. Given the shortage of land in Hong Kong and the keen competition for any available space, it will be difficult to find sites for any new landfills. The plan aims to reduce the amount of waste produced, to encourage re-use and recycling, to promote greater efficiency and economy in the management of waste, and to prolong the usable life of Hong Kong's landfills.

Waste recovery continues to play 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, more than 2.1 million tonnes of waste materials — including waste paper, metals and plastic — were exported in 2003, generating export earnings of about $2.5 billion.

Waste prevention and recovery has been the Government's main focus in tackling the waste problem. The Government introduced a package of initiatives in 2001 to further promote waste prevention and recycling and has been making progress in this regard.

Charging for waste disposal is an important element in the waste management strategy adopted in Hong Kong. It can provide economic incentives for waste producers to reduce waste and to carry out sorting to facilitate re-use and recycling which will, in turn, help conserve landfill capacity. As a first step, the Government intends to levy charges for the disposal of construction waste at landfills, sorting facilities and public fill reception facilities. In December, it introduced the Waste Disposal (Amendment) (No.2) Bill into the Legislative Council to give effect to the scheme for charging for construction waste disposal. Subject to the passage of the bill and related regulations, the Government intends to implement the charging scheme in late 2004.

Landfills

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 9 440 tonnes of municipal solid wastes every day in 2003. Of this, 7 400 tonnes comprised domestic waste and 2 040 tonnes comprised commercial and industrial waste. On average, each person in Hong Kong disposed of about 1.38 kilograms of municipal solid waste daily.

Rapid development in Hong Kong over the past decade has contributed to a dramatic increase in the amount of construction and demolition (C&D) material. The material generated every day amounted to some 52 000 tonnes, on average, and about 87 per cent of it was suitable for re-use in reclamation projects.

The current three landfills have a remaining lifespan of only eight to 12 years. In 2003, the Government completed a study to explore the feasibility of extending the existing landfills and to identify potential new landfill sites. Extension schemes for the existing landfills have been proposed. Planning and development work will soon proceed to ensure the continuity of waste disposal outlets.

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. It is intended to restore the last landfill, at Pillar Point Valley, by late 2005. After full restoration, the sites may be used primarily for community and recreational activities.

Refuse Transfer Stations

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.

Seven modern transfer stations and one set of Outlying Island Transfer Facilities (OITF) handle a total of 5 720 tonnes of waste every day. This is mostly domestic waste, and represents around 74 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 and North-West New Territories and the OITF on Ma Wan — also provide service to private waste collectors.

Chemical and Special Wastes

Comprehensive controls on the handling and disposal of chemical waste have been in place since 1993. The former widespread malpractice of dumping chemical waste into sewers and surface waters has stopped. All chemical waste producers are required to properly pack, label and store their chemical wastes before disposal at proper 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 2003, a daily average of 117 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.

Clinical Waste

In recognition of the public health risks associated with the improper handling of clinical waste generated by health-care activities, the Government plans to implement legal controls on the handling, collection and disposal of this type of waste. The Government also proposes to modify the Chemical Waste Treatment Centre so that it can receive clinical waste for proper treatment, replacing the current practice of disposing of untreated clinical waste at landfills. The health-care sectors and other related parties have been consulted and they generally supported the proposal. The Waste Disposal (Amendment) Bill 2003, providing for the control of clinical waste, was introduced into the Legislative Council in June. Subject to the passage of the bill and related subsidiary legislation, the Government intends to implement the controls in 2005.

Large-scale Waste Treatment Facilities

No matter how effective it is in dealing with waste prevention and recycling, Hong Kong still has to deal with a large volume of non-recyclable waste. New facilities to treat waste and reduce its volume will have to be put in place. Such facilities would need to meet the highest international environmental standards and be cost-effective. In April 2002, the Government invited the local and international waste management industries to express their interest in proposing latest technologies for the development of large-scale waste treatment facilities in Hong Kong. An Advisory Group, comprising mainly non-officials, is now considering various waste management technologies and options that are potentially suitable to Hong Kong. However, even with such large-scale waste treatment facilities, there are residual wastes that must be handled safely. Hence, Hong Kong will continue to require landfills for final disposal of waste.

Import and Export of Waste

Controls on the import and export of waste under the Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO) came into operation on September 1, 1996. A ban on the importation of hazardous waste from developed countries (mainly of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Union) was introduced on December 28, 1998. 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. The import or export of hazardous waste into or out of Hong Kong without a permit, regardless of the purpose of the import or export, is an offence under the WDO. Maximum penalties include a fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment for the first offence, and a fine of $500,000 and two years' imprisonment for subsequent offences. In 2003, there were six prosecutions for illegal import or export of waste, with fines totalling $130,000.

In January 2000, a memorandum of understanding with the State Environmental Protection Agency was signed on the control of hazardous waste shipments between the Mainland and the HKSAR.

Floating Refuse in the Harbour

The Marine Department deploys a fleet of seven government vessels and 68 contractors' vessels to collect floating refuse. In 2003, 13 926 tonnes of floating refuse 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 action.

Marine Dumping

Hong Kong's development projects continue to generate vast quantities of dredged mud that is unsuitable for reclamation or other uses (38.3 million cubic metres in 2003). 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 would not create an unacceptable impact on the marine environment. Because of the serious potential impact illegal dumping has 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 only allow operations to be carried out 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 seven convictions for illegal dumping offences in 2003.

Monitoring and Investigation

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 was started in 1986. It provides a comprehensive record of the chemical, physical and microbiological quality of Hong Kong's waters. The monitoring data are depicted in the annual water quality reports which are available on the EPD's home page. Members of the public are usually more interested in the latest water quality of bathing beaches. Details of open beaches are issued to the mass media and updated in the department's home page every week.

     
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