Replies to Questions from Finance Committee Members

Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2003-04 Reply Serial No.
CONTROLLING OFFICER’S REPLY TO
INITIAL WRITTEN QUESTION
ETWB(E)060
Question Serial No.
Head : 44 Environmental Protection Department Subhead(No. & title): 0841
Programme : (1) Waste Facilities
Controlling Officer : Director of Environmental Protection
Director of Bureau : Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works
Question : How much resources have been provided for in 2003-04 for the implementation of various existing
or planned pilot programmes on municipal waste reduction? What are the details and the
progress of such programmes?
Asked by : Hon. LEUNG Yiu-chung
Reply : About $5 million have been provided for in 2003-04 for the implementation of various existing and
planned pilot programmes on municipal waste reduction. These pilot programmes include plastic
bottles and plastic bags recovery; wet and dry waste separation; reuse and recycling of waste electronic
and electrical appliances; as well as recycling of mobile phone batteries, scrap vehicle tyres and
expanded polystyrene (plastic foam) containers and packaging material.
Gototop
On plastic bottles recovery, the Environmental Protection Department will continue to provide a central
collection service to 350 housing estates in 2003-04. In addition, a new plastic bottles compactor
mounted on a vehicle will be tested out as well as co-collection of plastic bottles and plastic bags in
some 20 housing estates.
On wet and dry waste separation, we will continue to provide technical assistance to a pilot scheme
funded by the Environment and Conservation Fund. This scheme started on 3 March 2003 and will last
for 12 months. Under the pilot scheme, dry waste is separately collected from four housing estates in
the Eastern District and delivered to a temporary sorting facility at the Island East Transfer Station where
recyclables are recovered for recycling.
For other recyclable materials, apart from the on-going mobile phone batteries recovery programme and
the pilot electrical appliances recycling plant at the North West New Territories Transfer Station, new
pilot programmes to test out various collection and recycling arrangements for waste electronic and
electrical appliances, scrap vehicle tyres and plastic foam containers have been developed for
implementation in 2003-04.
Signature
Name in block letters ROBERT J. S. LAW
Post Title Director of Environmental Protection
Date 21 March 2003