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Written by: comment editing room
2020-09-22 07:00
Last update date: 2020-09-22 07:00
Hong Kong's extremely low environmental recycling rate has always been one of the core problems of environmental protection issues.
In view of this, the community recycling center will start this year from increasing the number of sites, improving the image of the center, and increasing the reward and punishment mechanism to try to increase participation in environmental recycling.
After all, environmental recycling is not a scenic spot. Improving the appearance of recycling bins has always limited effectiveness in increasing the flow of people.
Increasing the number of recycling centers may make it more convenient for citizens to use, but the increase from 17 to the planned 22 will not greatly improve convenience.
As for the number of recycling centers set up too low, service fees are deducted, and rewards and penalties are rewarded for over-fulfillment, this may increase the motivation of recyclers, but it only transfers the responsibility of encouraging citizens to participate. If citizens participate The enthusiasm is not high, and the recyclers may be powerless.
On the contrary, if the government uses subsidies to install waste collection machines in various housing estates, so that citizens can use Octopus to receive cash rebates, it will be more convenient and incentives for recycling.
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Producer responsibility system should be implemented
However, whether it is to increase convenience or increase cash rebate, it is always an encouraging voluntary measure, and it still depends on the environmental awareness and self-consciousness of citizens and manufacturers.
However, in the face of the reality of high recovery costs, only incentives and voluntary measures are prone to lack of motivation and take too long to cope with the urgency that Hong Kong’s landfills will gradually become saturated in the next decade.
Government-led, policy-supported, and strengthened enforcement in coordination with legislation is the foundation of environmental protection.
For example, South Korea introduced municipal solid waste charging in 1995, and the amount of disposal was greatly reduced by 40% in four years. After Taipei implemented a waste-to-quantity charging plan from 2000 to 2001, the per capita waste disposal rate reached a maximum reduction of 65%.
We have pointed out that the government should pass legislation to implement a producer responsibility system to encourage manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers to share the responsibility for recycling, recycling and disposal of waste products.
However, the authorities are lax and passive in this regard. For example, although it proposed a beverage container producer responsibility system as early as 2005, the EPA is still "preparing to implement" the plan 15 years later.
At the same time, the scope of the producer responsibility plan is narrow, covering only plastics, waste electrical and electronic products, etc., so that the disposal rate of other types of waste is high.
Taking textiles as an example, the average daily disposal volume in Hong Kong is 343 tonnes.
In fact, many large-scale fashion brands have sufficient resources to develop sustainable fashion and recycle used clothes on their own. However, because the government has no legislative regulations, the participation in recycling depends entirely on the self-consciousness of enterprises.
There is a gift exchange machine on the car, and citizens can earn electronic points and redeem gifts through the recycling system.
(Photo of Environmental Protection Agency)
In addition to drafting legislation, the government's lack of financial support, policy leadership, and publicity in the recycling industry also makes it difficult to fundamentally improve the recycling rate of various types of waste.
For example, the Green Power’s recycling waste paper package program is funded by the government recycling fund, but this fund has always been set up by the government for specific recycling work, and it has been criticized for the complicated application procedures and high threshold.
In July 2011, the government launched the "Housing Estates Food Waste Recycling Funding Scheme" to subsidize the installation of food waste treatment facilities in housing estates. However, so far only 36 housing estates have participated, making the food waste recovery rate in Hong Kong only about 2%.
Hong Kong wants to resolve the full crisis in the landfills of the besieged city of garbage, and increasing the recycling rate of waste products is a crucial one.
In this regard, increasing the convenience of citizens' participation in recycling, the rate of return and other incentive measures are the temporary measures.
The government is aware of the urgency and responsibility in this regard, and promotes the development of the recycling industry through policies, legislation and other tough measures.
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Recycling Garbage Yard/Waste Recycling Station Recycling Yard Environmental Protection Department 01 Viewpoint
