Amid the pandemic

Yesterday (10th), a batch of styrofoam boxes placed on the side of the road at Kwai Chung No. 7 Container Terminal caught fire, and a large amount of smoke swept into the air. Due to the severe epidemic situation, the export of styrofoam recycling to the Mainland has been interrupted, and glue has appeared in various districts in Hong Kong. The dilemma of box siege.

Members of the Legislative Council of the Federation of Trade Unions, Deng Jiabiao, Guo Weiqiang, and Su Yingshan, Senior Business Manager of Smart Environmental Technology, held a press conference today (11th), asking the government to support and expand the application of local innovation and technology achievements to carry out large-scale styrofoam recycling and resolve foaming. Gum Siege Crisis.

Due to the severe epidemic situation, the export of styrofoam recycling to the mainland has been interrupted, and the situation of plastic box siege has occurred in various districts of Hong Kong.

(Photo provided by Deng Jiabiao)

Local innovation and technology company newly developed styrofoam to decompose into liquid

According to the 2019 figures of the Environmental Protection Department, as much as 89 tonnes of styrofoam waste is sent to landfills in Hong Kong every day. Due to the high cost, almost no one in the market is willing to take over the styrofoam recycling work. However, due to the impact of the epidemic, The mainland is worried that the styrofoam box will carry the virus, so it prohibits Chinese and Hong Kong drivers from returning the styrofoam box that was used in Hong Kong to the mainland for recycling, nor can it be returned to the mainland for Hong Kong vegetable market to carry vegetables back to Hong Kong again, so that a large number of them can be reused in the past. The plastic boxes of the styrofoam became garbage, and the styrofoam boxes were stranded in various districts and markets, which also attracted attention from all walks of life.

Su Yingshan, senior business manager of Wisdom Environmental Technology, said that the company has developed a new technology for rapidly dissolving styrofoam into liquid and has obtained a patent, but the technology has not been applied on a large scale locally.

According to Su, the technology can rapidly degrade styrofoam (EPS) around the clock and recycle it into polystyrene (PS), a plastic raw material with a purity of 99.8%.

Different from traditional plastic recycling, this technology is equipped with a filter and purification device, which can save the process of pre-cleaning styrofoam waste to improve recycling efficiency.

In view of the characteristics of light weight and large volume of styrofoam, the company has set up styrofoam recycling and processing vehicles, which can travel all over the 18 districts of Hong Kong to dispose of styrofoam waste on the spot, so as to reduce transportation costs and further improve recycling efficiency.

Mainland's refusal to recycle increases the burden on local landfills

Legislative Council member Deng Jiabiao pointed out that in the past, local styrofoam boxes would be transported back to the Mainland for reuse or recycling, but under the epidemic, the import of styrofoam was interrupted. Landfill pressure.

He believes that now there are local technology companies that have developed new patented technologies to improve the efficiency of styrofoam, the government should support and expand the application of local innovation and technology achievements, carry out large-scale local styrofoam recycling and processing, and reduce the export of styrofoam to The Mainland; in the long run, Hong Kong can also export relevant technologies to the Greater Bay Area to cooperate in recycling and processing styrofoam.

Legislative Councilor Kwok Wai-keung pointed out that in 2019, about 32,000 metric tons of styrofoam landfills were discarded, about 45% of which were tableware. Under the epidemic, restaurants were banned from dine-in at night, and takeaways increased. In addition to hygiene concerns, the public's desire to recycle was reduced. It is estimated that In 2020 and 2021, there will be more styrofoam landfill disposal than in 2019.

He also pointed out that the mobile processing vehicle can effectively recover the styrofoam accumulated in many places, but there are still difficulties in practical operation, such as the need to provide power at the parking place, or the foam accumulation place (such as the roadside pavement) does not have suitable Parking locations, etc., it is suggested that the government can provide convenient facilities to support the operation of mobile processing vehicles.

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Encourage private housing estates and markets to provide suitable recycling facilities

Li Jiaheng, the community officer of the Federation of Trade Unions, also said that styrofoam is difficult to decompose naturally. In the past, styrofoam waste leaked during transportation and eventually fell into the sea, affecting the marine ecology. The new patented technology can achieve this. It can be recycled and processed widely, and the wide application can reduce the transportation of styrofoam waste and reduce leakage.

Li continued to point out that last year the government held a public consultation on legislation to regulate disposable plastic tableware, including styrofoam tableware.

At the same time, the government should speed up the legislative process to reduce styrofoam waste from the source.

The Federation of Trade Unions suggested that the government should formulate policies to promote local recycling of styrofoam, so as to reduce the pressure on local landfills and reduce dependence on exporting to the Mainland, and co-ordinate the placement of styrofoam boxes in suitable government places, such as waste transfer stations, And use new technologies for recycling and processing in the area, and at the same time encourage private housing estates and markets to provide suitable facilities for styrofoam recycling.

Styrofoam siege continued agency receives 5 tons of vegetable boxes monthly. Recyclers degrade on the spot but cannot fully digest Omicron｜Worry about virus and ban northbound styrofoam box siege recycling agency urges stalls to sell styrofoam boxes at Kwai Chung No. 7 Container Terminal A large amount of smoke engulfed the air

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