Hong Kong produces about 6 million tons of waste per year that is dumped in landfills. The three strategic landfills that receive this waste are filling up rapidly and are expected to reach maximum capacity within 10-15 years. To address this problem, Hong Kong needs to increase waste recycling efforts to reduce the amount of waste. The key methods of waste recycling discussed are reduce, reuse, recycle, and replace to lessen waste loads. Specific examples are provided for reducing paper, plastic, and construction waste through local recycling programs and export. However, the recycling industry in Hong Kong faces difficulties like low public awareness and small business scales.

1. Biology Project
Wastes recycling industry,
Examples of 4R(reduce,recycle,reuse,replace)
Cheung Wan Ming(3)
Yip Kit Yu (16)

2. Why the wastes recycling isWhy the wastes recycling is
important to Hong Kong?important to Hong Kong?
Hong Kong ‘s waste problem
• Hong Kong, like many developed places, has
seen its waste loads grow as its economy has
grown. Municipal waste loads have increased
an average of about three per cent per year
since 1986
• The per capita level of domestic waste has
risen from 0.95 kilograms per person per
day in 1990, to 1.11 kilograms in 2002.

3. •About 6million ton of waste dumped in landfills
each year
– 55% (3.4million ton) municipal solid waste
–38% construction and demolition waste
– 7% other wastes (sludge, animal carcass)
•The 3 Strategic Landfills (Nim Wan, Tseung
Kwan O and Ta Kwu Ling ) are filling up fast
– Remaining capacity: around 110million tonnes
– Expected to last another 10-15 years
– Annual operating cost = HK$420 Million

4. • The continued growth in waste loads means
Hong Kong is running out of landfill space far
earlier than expected.
• The remaining landfill space will last only for 7
to 11 years if waste levels continue to increase
at current levels.
• We will face a crisis in the next decade of
having nowhere to put the thousands of tonnes
of waste thrown away each day.
* Thus, Hong Kong needs
to regenerate several
different types of waste
in order to reduce the
waste loads.

5. Solid waste transfer & disposal in Hong Kong
Source: http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/

6. What is recycling?What is recycling?
• It includes recovery and utilization
Recovery:
• The collection of waste materials that can be
used
Utilization:
• The processing of diverted waste into new and
useful materials and products

7. The importance of recycling of
waste materials
• Reduce the rate of depletion of
natural resources
• Reduce the air pollution
• Reduce the needs for landfill sites
• Save energy used in some process

8. Waste recycling industry in
HK
• According to the Environmental
Protection Department ,there
are about 300 active waste
collectors and 50 waste
recyclers in Hong Kong.

9. Waste recycling industry in HK
1)Recycling of Municipal solid waste
• comprises solid waste from households,
commercial and industrial sources.
• (eg: plastic, paper, aluminium)
– 2.38million tonnes (36 % of the total
generated) were recovered
– 9 % recycled locally
– 91 % exported to the Mainland & other
countries
• The waste recycling
industry of the solid
wastesin HK is small.

10. Recycling of paper
• In 2002,about 58% of the waste paper
generated in Hong Kong Was recovered.
• They were either recycled locally or exported
to China for recycling.
• 18 % of the wastes are recycled locally
82 % of them are exported to the Mainland
or other countries
• In Hong Kong, there were about 156 private
waste paper collectors and 2 paper recyclers
in operation.

11. Recycling of metals
• Metal wastes are classified into 2 types:
ferrous metals (eg: alloy steel scrap)
non ferrous metal ( eg:aluminium ,lead)
In 2002, about 91% of the ferrous metal
wastes and 76%of the non-ferrous metals
wastes were recovered.
There are about 137 ferrous and 177 non-
ferrous wastes metal dealers in Hong Kong.

12. Recycling of plastics
• In 2002 ,only 38% of the plastic wastes
was recovered
because there is very limited re-
processing of post-consumer plastics due
to the complicated processing
procedures.
•

13. • 3 % of the wastes are recycled locally
• 97 % of them are exported to the
Mainland or other countries
• An internationally recognized coding
system of plastics has been adopted
to facilitate separation and
treatments of plastic wastes.

14. The Plastic Coding
System

15. Types & quantities of Municipal solid waste
recycled by the waste recycling industry in
HK in 2003
Source: http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/

16. Statistics of Municipal Solid Waste Recovered
in 1990-2003
Source: http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/

17. Source: http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/
Key players in MSW
recovery in HK
EPD; green groups;
corporate
Street collectors;
cleansing workers
Medium or small
size enterprises
More exporters,
few recyclers

18. Example: Industrialized Recycling

19. Shredder
Unsorted municipal
waste
Plastics
Aluminum foil
Metals
Glass
Inert debris
Hydro-Crusher
Primary
bio-treatment
Secondary
Bio-treatment
Compost
Clear effluents
Bio-Gas
Heat
Electricity
Control Unit
Arrow Ecology
Bio-Treatment of
Municipal Waste
Recycling
Example: The Process for Municipal Solid Waste

20. 2)Recycling of construction and demolition waste
． Materials arising from construction,
demolition, renovation
-Inert materials: rock, debris, rubble,
excavated soil, concrete, etc
-Non-inert substances :bamboo, timber, paper,
vegetation, packaging waste, organics, etc.
． Recyclable C&D Material
-Reusable / Recyclable Materials
-eg: soil, concrete, rock, asphalt, etc.

21. Alternative Uses of C&D Materials
C&D Materials
Inert Hard
• road sub-base
• hardcore
• drainage works
• concrete
Others
Soil/Clay
• topsoil
• synthetic
lightweight
concrete
Metals
• reuse
steel
bars
Wood
• for energy
recovery
• fibre board
• landscape
works

22. Solid Waste (eg: construction and demolition
waste) Disposal in 1998-2002

23. Government measures to enhance the waste reduction
• the government has established a Waste Reduction
Committee which works out measures for reduction
of waste production.
• The food and Environmental Hygiene Department has
provided recycling bins for different types of wastes
in around 200public areas
• The Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation
Department has provided 300 recycling bins for
BBQ forks in over 100 recreational sites
• supports the local waste recycling industry
Effor
ts

24. (B) Difficulties faced by recycling
industry
- No incentive for building constructors to
separate and recycle waste
- The public awareness of the importance of
environment protection is low
- Small flat sizes in Hong Kong restrict waste
separation and storage
- Relatively small-scale recycling enterprises
discourages investment on advanced waste
recovery technology

25. • What can we do to reduce the solid wastes?
• Reduce
• Recycle
• Reuse
• Replace
Reduce ,recycle ,reuse and replace

26. * Reduce *
• Simplify your life as much as
possible. Only keep belongings that
you use/enjoy on a regular basis. By
making the effort to reduce what
you own, you will naturally purchase
less/create less waste in the future.

27. -Examples:
• Use less paper.
• Reduce the use of over-bleached tissue paper which may
contain dioxins. .
• Cut down on gift wrapping paper.
• Separate waste paper at home and in office for paper
recycling.
• Use less plastic bags and use durable bags or baskets.
Plastic bags take years to decompose.
• Encourage the use of reusable dishes and utensils in fast
food shops.
• Minimize the number of document copies.
• Use blank side of used paper to make note pads.
• Reuse envelopes.
• Use pencils for drafting rather than ball pens.
• Reduce the use of fluorescent pens. You can always
underline your text.
• Bring your own mug to office. Avoid using paper cups

28. * Recycle *
• To reduce the amount of raw
materials used to make products
and the amount of wastes that
needs to be landfilled.

29. Examples:
• Waste Paper Recycling Program in offices and
homes
• Recycle
- White office paper:
letterhead, businessforms,
- offset paper, scratch paper, copy paper ,
Coloured paper ,Photo copies
-Index cards
-Computer printout paper
-Standard business cards
-Brochures and Newsletters (if not on glossy
paper)

30. • Waste Recycling Program in residential
buildings
Examples: Newspapers,
paper, cardboard,
plastic, glass, aluminium
Other wastes can also be recycled:
tin cans, scrap metal,
alkaline batteries

31. * Reuse *
• Just don’t throw the wastes away without
deeply consideration
Examples:
• Save reusable decoration e.g. plastic Christmas
treesetc. for next year
• Donate unwanted gifts to needy
• reuse the paper which has been used on one side only for
scrap paper
• Donate your old clothes and other products to charity
• Pick up books from your local library or used book store
• Donate your old computer equipment

32. * Replace *
• New materials are used to replace the
original one
Examples:
-Replace your newspaper and magazines with
the online news (save the papers)
-Replace durable utensils with disposable
foam-blow plastic containers, polystyrene
utensils, paper cups and disposable wooden
chopsticks.
-Use handkerchiefs to replace the tissues

33. References
• http://www.globalstewards.org/main.htm
• http://www.epd.gov.hk
• http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/mainmap.htm
• http://www.susdev.org.hk/b5/paper/paper_ch2.asp
• http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/textonly/english/environ
mentinhk/waste/guide_ref/files/wr_plastics.pdf
• Advanced-level Biology for Hong Kong 2

34. * THE END ** THE END *