Category: news.gov.hk

/ REPOST /

To encourage residents to practise separating their food waste at home so that it can be properly collected and recycled, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) introduced smart recycling bins that have resulted in multiple green benefits, such as reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, and an opportunity for citizens to redeem points for gifts.

Smart features

The built-in weight and fill level sensors can prevent the bins from overflowing. Plus, they are equipped with odour abatement devices that automatically spray a deodorant at regular intervals to reduce odour. The dosing frequency and amount of the deodorant spray can be adjusted according to actual needs.

The EPD is also working with the Housing Department and the Housing Society after it launched an 18-month food waste collection trial scheme at public rental housing estates starting from October last year.

The waste collected can be turned into green energy, such as producing electricity. Plus, composting it at food waste recycling facilities will reduce the burden on landfills.

Environmental Protection Department Senior Environmental Protection Officer (Waste Reduction & Community Recycling) Kenneth Tong explained that the first phase of the scheme, involving about 30 blocks in five public rental housing estates, commenced in the fourth quarter of 2022.

He added that the EPD gradually expanded its food waste collection network as the second phase of the trial scheme commenced in other housing estates in the New Territories and Kowloon since March this year.

 

To read more, please visit and reference to the link from news.gov.hk

With facebook video in Chinese version attached

Issued on July 09, 2023

/ REPOST /

The smart recycling bins used in the trial scheme are equipped with odour abatement devices and adopt an impermeable and enclosed design.

Additionally, the odour will be dispersed in the air as the bins are usually installed in outdoor and fully ventilated places. The department stressed that it is inappropriate for the company concerned to use indoor air quality objectives for comparison with the smart recycling bins placed outdoors, and claim that air pollutants generated from the bins exceed the prescribed threshold by 10 times.

The department also pointed out that residents responded positively to the design and operation of smart food waste recycling bins. They actively participated in smart food waste recycling with an increasing quantity of food waste collected

Currently, six public rental housing estates including Shek Pai Wan Estate in Aberdeen, Choi Tak Estate in Ngau Tau Kok, Sheung Tak Estate in Tseung Kwan O, Lin Tsui Estate in Chai Wan, Kwun Lung Lau in Kennedy Town and Tin Heng Estate in Tin Shui Wai have participated in the trial scheme.

 

To read more, please visit and reference to the link from news.gov.hk

Issued on April 20, 2023

/ REPOST /

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 30) launched an 18-month food waste collection trial scheme in public rental housing (PRH) estates. In the first phase of the trial, the EPD will progressively install smart recycling bins to collect food waste in about 30 blocks of five PRH estates under the Housing Department and the Hong Kong Housing Society.

At a publicity event held at Shek Pai Wan Estate in Aberdeen today to promote the trial scheme, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, said that domestic food waste currently accounts for about 70 per cent of the total quantity of food waste disposed of in landfills. While 30 per cent of Hong Kong’s population (over 2 million) lives in PRH estates, the trial scheme thus targets PRH residents to encourage the practices of food waste source separation, collection and recycling, which can mitigate environmental hygiene problems caused by food waste and make good use of organic resources.

 

To read more, please visit and reference to the Press Release of the Government of HKSAR

Ends/Sunday, October 30, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:36