The integrated information about recyclables in Hong Kong

Accordingly, the usual recycling bins that appeared on roadside and estates could only accept “Three Paper and Two Plastics” (except the ... News ＜　PreviousPage 2020-07-23 TheintegratedinformationaboutrecyclablesinHongKong TherecyclingsysteminHongKonghasalwaysbeendenouncedbythepublic,inwhichtherecyclingstationinthesocietyhasnounifiedtargetofcollectingthesamecategoryofrecyclables.InApril2020,GreenSensehadundertakenanonlinesurveyregardingtheshoppingpackaging.Over40%oftherespondentsindicatedthattheywereunclearaboutthecategoriesofdifferentrecyclables,inthemeantime,20%oftherespondentsdenotedthattheywereunfamiliarwiththeinformationonwheretocollecttherecyclables[1].Inaddition,therewerenewsrevealedearlierthatsomecollectedrecyclablesofprivateestatesweredeliveredrightawaytothelandfillinsteadoftherecyclingstation,thishasundoubtedlystrikeaseriousblowattheconfidencefromthepublictowardstherecyclingsysteminHongKong.Therefore,whatcouldthepublicdoinordertocollectrecyclablesbyoneself?Withaviewtoencouragethepublictorecycle,differenttypesofrecyclablescollectionpointsarelistedbelow. ThreePaperTwoPlastics China,HongKongSARgovernmentemphasizedoneducatingthepublictorecycletheclean“ThreePaperTwoplastics”intohousehold,workplaceandroadsiderecyclingsystemrespectively.“Threepaper”indicatescardboard,newspaperandofficepaper,while“TwoPlastics”indicatedbeverageplasticbottlesandpersonalcareproductplasticbottles.Accordingly,theusualrecyclingbinsthatappearedonroadsideandestatescouldonlyaccept“ThreePaperandTwoPlastics”(excepttheestatesparticipatedinthePlasticRecyclingPilotScheme). Image1:“ThreePaperTwoPlastics”(ThreePaper:Newspaper,OfficePaperandCardboard).Source:HongKongWasteReductionWebsite[2] Image2:“ThreePaperTwoPlastics”(Twoplastics:BeverageplasticbottlesandPersonalcareproductplasticbottles).Source:HongKongWasteReductionWebsite[2] Otherplasticsexceptthe“TwoPlastics” Apartfromthe“Twoplastics”mentionedabove,therearegenerallyseventypesofplastics,inwhichsixofthemcouldberecycled: No.1(PET)*:BeverageBottleLid,PlasticCupetc.,whereaconcaveandbigdotcouldbefoundonthebottomofthebottle. No.2*:LaundrySoap,LaundrySoftener,ShowerGelBottleetc.,whereahorizontalinterfacecouldbefoundonthebottomofthebottle. No.3(PVC):ClingWrap,Raincoatetc.Thistypeofplasticwillreleaseharmfulchemicalswhenitencounterscombustion.ThereiscurrentlyalackoftechnologyintreatingthistypeofplasticinHongKong. No.4(LDPE):PlasticBagwithhandle,TissueBag,FruitNet,BubbleWrap No.5(PP):MicrowavedFoodContainer,BottleLid,TransparentBag No.6(PS):CDCase,YakultBottle,Polyfoam,PlasticCupLid(Translucent) No.7:CD,Acrylic,PolycarbonatePC,ResinCutlery *BottleLidandLabelbelongstodifferenttypesofplastics,andthereforeseparaterecyclingisrequired. Publicandcitizensmayvisit“CommunityGreenStations”(CGS)forrecyclingtheplasticslistedabove(No.1-No.7,excludingNo.3&Polyfoam). FordetailofCGS,pleasevisit:https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/community/cgs_intro.htm Polyfoam Polyfoamiscommonlyutilizedforsingleusefoodcontainer,fillerofthepackagingetc.Inspiteofthewidevarietyofdistinctpolyfoam,alotofthemcouldberecycled.Forexample: Disposablefoodcontainer(Rinseoutfoodandoilstainbeforerecycling) PolyfoamPackagingBox FoamFruitNet PackagingBuffer/PolyfoamEPSBoard PackingpeanutsandFiller Thecollectedpolyfoamwillbecompressedandgothroughanumberofrecyclingprocesses,eventuallytransformedintorecycledPS/PEmaterials. DetailsofPolyfoamrecyclingstations,pleasevisit:https://www.facebook.com/polyfoamrecyclinghk/ Image3:DiagramfordistinguishingRecyclableandNon-recyclablePolyfoam.Source:PolyfoamRecyclingScheme PaperPackageDrinksRecycling In2018,thedailyaverageofcarton-boxesdisposalamountwas67tonneinHongKong[3].Manyhavemisunderstoodthatpaper-packageddrinkscannotberecycled,which,inreality,theycouldberecycled! Simplestepstorecyclingpaper-packageddrinks: Step1:removeplasticstrawandwrapping Step2:Cutandflattenthecarton Step3:Rinsewithwater* Step4:Placeintorecyclingsites: MilMillrecyclingstations** *Beforerecycling,itisimportanttocleanthecartonswithwater.Ifthecartonsarecontaminated,mouldmaydevelopintheprocessingstage,renderingtherecycledmaterialspoiledgarbage. **Formorepaper-packageddrinkscartoncollectionpoints,pleasevisitMilMill’scollectionpointmap: bit.ly/MilMillMap Image4.AGuidetoRecyclingPaperPackagedDrinks MoredetailsaboutGreenSenseCharityEvent:DrinkCartonBoxesRecyclingProgramme,pleasevisit:http://greensense.org.hk/en/?p=5575 PlasticRecyclingPilotScheme TheEnvironmentalProtectionDepartmenthasinitiatedthePlasticRecyclingPilotSchemeearlyoninJanuaryof2020,withanaimtoexpandthecategoryofexistingrecyclablesandincreasethenumbersofrecyclingfacilities,soastopreparetherisingnumberofrecyclablesinHongKonginthefuture.Thetwo-yearPilotschemeisrolledoutthroughwhichcontractorsareengagedunderservicecontractstoprovidefreecollectionserviceforwasteplasticsfromregisteredpremisesfornon-commercialandnon-industrialsourcessuchaspublicandprivatehousingestates,schoolsandpublicinstitutions,CommunityRecyclingCentresandCGSsinthedistricts[4]. AwiderangeofrecyclablescanbecollectedunderthePilotScheme,includingplasticbags(e.g.carrierbags,ricebags,plasticpackagingbags),plasticcontainers(e.g.plasticbottles,plasticbuckets,plasticboxes,microwavecontainers,yogurtcups,tofuboxes),polyfoam(e.g.fruitnets,polyfoamboxes,protectivepolyfoammaterials),plastictableware,plasticstraws,CDs,bubblewrapsandotherplasticpackagingmaterials[4]. Thecontractor–SuccessGrandEnvironmentalLimitedwillundertakethePilotSchemeinEasternDistrictthathaveprogressivelycommencedsincelateJanuary2020,whilethepilotschemeinKwunTongandShaTindistrictsareexpectedtocommenceinthethirdquarterof2020. TakeSuccessGrandEnvironmentalLimitedasanexample,thecontractorwillallocatethecollectedrecyclableplasticsfromover70collectionpointsinEasternDistricttoYuenLongRecyclingCentre[5].Therecyclableplasticsareundergoingfurtherprocesssuchassorting,crashingandgranulatingintoplasticrawmaterialsorrecycledplasticproducts.Theywillbeexportedorsuppliedtothelocalandoverseasmarketsoastoensurethatthewasteplasticscollectedareproperlyhandled. Image5:DifferenttypesofrecyclableplasticsunderthePlasticRecyclingPilotScheme.Source:TheEnvironmentalProtectionDepartment Image6:TheRecyclingBinunderthePlasticRecyclingPilotScheme ThePublicandprivateestatesthathaveinthepilotschemeareabletorecycleplasticsandpolyfoamwithNo.1-2,4-7inthedesignatedcollectionbins. ThecollectionpointsinEasterndistrictarelistedhere:https://eastern.successgrand.com.hk/recycleBin.html AsthepilotschemeinKwunTongandShaTindistrictwillbelaunchedinthethirdquarterof2020,andtherefore,werecommendcitizenswhomlivesindistrictthatisnotinvolvedinpilotschemecouldrecycleintheCGSnearby. Wheredotheplasticsgo? References GreenSense(2020),,http://greensense.org.hk/en/?p=5679 TheEnvironmentalProtectionDepartment(2018),TheEnvironmentalProtectionDepartment:“ThreePaperTwoPlastics”,https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/wrp/recycling/paper_plastic_poster_en.html TheEnvironmentalProtectionDepartment(2019),“MonitoringofSolidWasteinHongKong”,https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/sites/default/files/msw2018.pdf TheEnvironmentalProtectionDepartment(2020),PlasticRecyclingPilotScheme,https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/pilot_scheme_collect_recycle_plastics.htm HK01.com(2020),《東區首試中央收膠　承辦商月收逾十噸廢膠　最怕廚餘棄回收箱》,https://bit.ly/3fZlisV (Chineseonly) RelatedPosts 《環保基金—綠色網購推廣計劃》最新活動：深水埗綠色生活推廣計劃【招募2022年荃灣綠色年宵大使】（取消）2021最新人才招募—全職項目主任2021LatestRecruitment–Full-timeProjectOfficer齊齊撐綠色網店歡迎更多網店加入！ Keywords recyclingWasteReduction乾淨回收回收Solidwaste減廢 Tweet Comments LatestNews (中文)環保觸覺回應【政府建議「優化」環評程序】 (中文)環保觸覺2022網購包裝問卷調查 (中文)【招募2022年荃灣綠色年宵大使】（取消） (中文)環保觸覺就管制即棄塑膠諮詢提交意見書 (中文)招募：帝景峰「環保大使」及「廢物統計員」 Categories WalledBuilding WiseuseofAirCon SharkSaving GreenFestival LightPollution DisposableUtensil VolunteerProjects Announcement Donation Yourdonationallowsustohavemoreresourcestoplanforfutureprojectsandraisetheenvironmentalawarenessamongthecommunity. 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