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Written by: Lao Minyi
2021-01-25 17:44
Last update date: 2021-01-25 17:53
The Environmental Affairs Committee of the Legislative Council discussed Hong Kong’s waste management strategy today (25th). During the meeting, a member asked the Bureau about the accusation that Hong Kong was named a "free port of garbage trade" by quoting Interpol’s report last year for Green World.
The Deputy Director of the Environment Bureau, Xie Zhanhuan, refuted that it was not true. He believed that after the regulation of the Basel Convention, the number of waste plastics re-exported through Hong Kong would drop to a negligible level.
Green Earth responded that "history" has proven that the Environmental Protection Agency was lazy in the past and questioned whether the waste was returned to the container as foreign waste and whether the waste is truly recyclable. It is hoped that the bureau will announce the recycling figures and release the waste disposal in landfills. Doubts.
The Environment Bureau is about to publish a new long-term strategy blueprint for waste management.
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Xie Zhanhuan pointed out that before the Basel Convention, which regulates transnational hazardous waste, came into effect this year, there was a large-scale global trade in waste plastics. However, with the tightening of waste imports in the Mainland and the implementation of the Convention, the amount of waste plastics re-exported through Hong Kong has decreased significantly. Therefore, the situation mentioned by the ring group has become a "historical issue."
He quoted data as saying that in 2016, the re-export volume of waste plastics in Hong Kong was 2.7 million metric tons, which had been reduced to 9.6 metric tons last year, a decrease of 96%. It is hoped that after the control takes effect this year, the relevant figures will drop to an even more insignificant amount.
He pointed out that under the regulation of the Convention, only clean, single plastic waste can be imported into Hong Kong and must be recycled. Others must apply for a permit from the Environmental Protection Department.
Regarding the International Criminal Police’s “Report”, it named Hong Kong as a “free port of garbage trade”. Xie pointed out that the report had no relevant allegations. Only when it mentioned illegal international trade, there was a sentence mentioned that Belgium had 7 containers passing through Hong Kong. Re-export.
According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency, Huan Tuan pointed out that in 2019, 14 containers containing different waste were returned to Hong Kong by Malaysia and the Philippines, involving more than 280 tons. In the end, multiple containers had to be recycled and processed locally. Suspicious, but it wants local "hard food", and some of it needs to be disposed of in landfills.
Xie Zhanhuan responded that it was not true, explaining that 12 of the containers were unregulated waste plastics. The reason why they were returned to Hong Kong involved commercial disputes rather than contraband. They were finally recycled in Hong Kong or other regions; the other 2 containers were illegally exported The government has prosecuted the relevant exporters of waste electronic containers, and has also recycled them, stressing that none of them are discarded in Hong Kong's landfills.
Related Article: Interpol Named Hong Kong's "Free Port of Garbage Trade"
The ring group promotes the check work should be tight rather than loose
Green Earth responded that the Interpol’s "Report" foresees a huge market for the waste plastics trade. In the past two years, the illegal traffic volume has increased significantly. Through re-exports such as free ports, Hong Kong has been disguised as a source of waste, which is the role Hong Kong has always played. "History" has proved that the Environmental Protection Agency was lazy about problems in the past.
The Central Mission hopes that the bureau will announce the true recovery rate of the containers returned as foreign waste, so as to alleviate the doubts about being dumped as waste at landfills.
The ring group is also worried that the United States, which has not signed the Convention, will continue to use Hong Kong’s re-export waste, and urges the authorities to check tightly or not, especially to increase the supervision of US imported containers; once violations are found, they should be announced as soon as possible and the progress should be reported to the Legislative Council regularly. And the situation, remind developed countries not to engage in unscrupulous garbage trade.
According to the Environmental Protection Department, there are 12 parcels of land in the Eco-Park, and the remaining two or three parcels have not been leased out.
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4 Degrees were asked about the issue of renting out of the environmental protection park, only to provide assistance as much as possible
In addition, "Hong Kong 01" reported that three tenants had withdrawn from the EcoPark last year. Legislative Council Member Xie Weiquan asked about the rent withdrawal in the park four times at the meeting.
Fang Jianhua, Assistant Director (Waste Reduction and Recycling) of the Environmental Protection Department, did not respond. He only stated that there are 12 sites in the park, and the remaining two and three sites are "unleased." , Cancellation will be processed according to the lease agreement.
Regarding the adjustment of the plastic bag levy, the Deputy Director (Special Projects) Lu Jiajian of the Environmental Protection Department said that in the current economic situation, we must consider how to adjust the relevant level and also hope to review the scope of exemptions, such as plastic bags and bread bags that carry frozen food. It is one of the directions for review.
The Environment Bureau published the "Hong Kong Resource Recycling Blueprint 2013-2022" in May 2013, which is often criticized for failing to meet the standards. The Environment Bureau will soon publish a new long-term strategy blueprint for waste management.
The Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Wu Jiang Mei Ni, expressed that she hopes to intensify efforts to formulate long-term strategies, establish a circular economy and create green jobs, and gradually get rid of excessive dependence on landfills.
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