HK Standard
The new administration is clearly working hard on the processing of food waste because such efforts are necessary as Hong Kong’s landfills are nearly full.
Thursday, November 08, 2012
The new administration is clearly working hard on the processing of food waste because such efforts are necessary as Hong Kong’s landfills are nearly full.
To win the blessing of environmental groups to open new landfills, the government must be seen to have done a good job in energy conservation and waste reduction.
Food waste is not a problem unique to Hong Kong – it is also a headache for other metropolises such as Guangzhou, where plans to build garbage incinerators were shelved amid strong objections from residents.
The Guangdong capital, therefore, decided to take the alternative route of engaging specialists from Shanghai to introduce measures to better handle organic waste.
In the past couple of years, Guangzhou has started the practice of separating dry and wet household refuse, and raised subsidies for the establishment of food-waste processing plants.
Food waste is thus recycled into compost used in growing organic vegetables – a practice promoted by the city government.
Guangzhou targets creating an environmental industrial chain this way, which of course requires a period of investment.
In Hong Kong, the government has floated the idea of a recycling plant for food waste to relieve the pressure on landfills, after its proposal to expand the current site at Tseung Kwan O was vetoed.
To properly handle food waste, corresponding facilities must be set up at restaurants and residential buildings, while measures are implemented to ensure hygiene during transportation.
Substantial setup expenses can be expected, and it is unknown at this stage when the SAR will be ready to roll out such a program on a full scale.
As mainlanders are also fighting against the siting of obnoxious facilities in their neighborhoods, local governments are developing waste-processing industries instead.
With the encouragement of corresponding policies, many private enterprises are venturing into this new business, hence its rapid growth.
These companies might even come to Hong Kong to “treasure hunt” soon. Siu Sai-wo is chief editor of Sing Tao Daily