Government Drive to Cut MSW Per Capita by 2022 : Hong Kong Landfill Up 3.8% to Nearly 15,000 TPD in 2014
On average Hong Kong sent some 14,859 tonnes of waste to landfill per day in 2014, an increase of 3.8% compared to 2013 according to a recent report from Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department (EPD).
The report, ‘Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong - Waste Statistics for 2014’ presents the 2014 statistics on quantities of solid waste disposed of and estimates of waste recovered, including municipal solid waste (MSW) (comprising domestic, commercial and industrial waste), construction waste and other categories of waste in Hong Kong.
The average daily quantity of MSW disposal at landfills was 9782 tonnes, representing an increase of 2.5% over the previous year. Looking at the figures from a mid-term perspective, the EPD said that domestic waste disposal has fallen cumulatively by 9% since 2004. The 2014 per capita MSW disposal rate per day was 1.35 kilograms, which was slightly lower than the rate of 1.37kg in 2004.
The EPD noted that the policy targets of the "Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013 - 2022" place great emphasis should be given to the per capita MSW disposal rate.
With regard to construction waste, the quantity being disposed of at landfills has dropped by 40% since the implementation of the Construction Waste Disposal Charging Scheme in 2006. The recovery rate of inert construction materials delivered to public fill reception facilities and other outlets was 93% in 2014. It has remained at above 90% since 2009.
Compared to the figure in 2013, the total quantity of recovered recyclable MSW materials was reported to be 45,000 tonnes higher, with ferrous metals waste increasing by 322,000 tonnes but paper waste and plastic waste dropping by 87,000 and 144,000 tonnes respectively. The MSW recovery rate stood at 37 per cent in 2014, the same as in 2013.
The EPD said that following the establishment of the Steering Committee to Promote the Sustainable Development of the Recycling Industry, the Recycling Fund has been launched to assist the recycling industry in upgrading its capability, increasing the quantity and quality of recyclables recovered, and establishing a stable outlet for recycled materials.
The department added that the Government will continue its efforts to implement the waste reduction policies and actions in the "Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources".
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