Recycling bin contents not separated (since 2011)

Annemiek Ballesty, Sai Kung

http://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1742877/letters-editor-march-21-2015

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http://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1742877/letters-editor-march-21-2015 https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/household/source_how.htm
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James Middleton

Mar 21 (5 days ago)

Mr. YU Wing Lun, Alan

Env Protection Offr(Waste Reduction & Recycling)23

Environmental Protection Department

2872 1711

alanyu@epd.gov.hk

From: alanyu@epd.gov.hk [mailto:alanyu@epd.gov.hk]
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 13:47
To: James Middleton
Cc: ytdoeh@fehd.gov.hk; llau@epd.gov.hk
Subject: RE: update ?

Dear Mr. Middleton,

Thank you for your feedback.

For the Kings Park, I will further follow up with the park’s management and provide assistance to facilitate properly recycling of waste in the Park.

Regarding your views and suggestions on MSW Charging Consultation and mandatory recycling of waste, I would pass them to our colleagues for consideration.

Regards

Alan Yu
Waste Reduction and EcoPark Group
Environmental Protection Department
Tel. 2872 1711
Fax. 2872 0389

“James Middleton” <dynamco@netvigator.com> 2012/02/02 下午 02:40
To <alanyu@epd.gov.hk> cc <ytdoeh@fehd.gov.hk> Subject RE: update ?

Dear Mr YU
As for Kings Park we watch them with astonishment every weekend as the contents are all emptied together. They do separate the plastic bottles usually but not the glass or paper.
It is pointless to consult the public as they will not want to pay for anything and bringing in such a convoluted system would merely result in fly tipping or burning in the NT..
This is a pointless delaying measure.
It is unnecessary to have to burn 3000 tonnes of MSW a day if the law were brought in to force all parties to separate waste at collection areas whether public or private.
Obviously the amount of daily MSW would then decrease by a significant amount or perhaps HK citizens want to remain world champions per kg of MSW generated..
Regards
James Middleton

From: alanyu@epd.gov.hk [mailto:alanyu@epd.gov.hk]
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2012 14:24
To: James Middleton
Cc: ytdoeh@fehd.gov.hk
Subject: Re: update ?

Dear Mr. Middleton,
Thank you for your email of 18 Jan 2012.

For the arrangement for collection of source separated waste from Kings Park Rugby ground in Wylie Path Kowloon, we have clarified with FEHD colleagues and they have also confirmed in their reply of 16 Sept 2011 that their refuse collection vehicle only collected refuse inside the refuse bins but not the recyclables. Our subsequent discussion with the Park’s management also confirmed that proper arrangement was in place for collection and delivery of the recyclables to relevant recyclers. They also confirmed that the dumping of recycling bins’ content into rubbish bin were isolated incidents where the material inside the recycling bins were contaminated with other wastes and non-recyclable items. To this end, they would strengthen the education of the park users to prevent similar incidents.

Regarding your suggestion on mandatory recycling of MSW, we are currently consulting the public on the introduction of charging as an economic means to reduce the generation of municipal solid waste (MSW). Among others, the public is also consulted on whether the Government should introduce legislation to mandate the separation of waste at source (details in Sections 7.7 -7.9 and 7.14 of the consultation document) . Members of the public are welcome to give their views before the consultation period ends on April 10 2012. For details, please visit the dedicated website below which the consultation document has been uploaded:

http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/msw_consult/english.html

We will take note of your view on mandatory source separation as expressed in your message in the public consultation. If you would like to offer additional views on mandatory source separation and/or MSW charging, please send your submission to us through the following channels:

By Post: Environmental Protection Department
Waste Management Policy Division
Room 4522, 45th Floor, Revenue Tower
5 Gloucester Road, Wanchai
Hong Kong
By Email: mswcharging@epd.gov.hk
By facsimile: 2318 1877

Thank you for your support on waste reduction and recycling.

Alan Yu
Waste Reduction and EcoPark Group
Environmental Protection Department
Tel. 2872 1711
Fax. 2872 0389

“James Middleton” <dynamco@netvigator.com> 2012/01/18 上午 09:01
To <alanyu@epd.gov.hk>, <ytdoeh@fehd.gov.hk>, “EPD HKG” <enquiry@epd.gov.hk>
cc
Subject
update ?
Dear Sir
The Government is pushing for incineration whilst ½ of HK’s municipal waste is not being recycled.
The current scenario below remains unanswered.
Government must make recycling of MSW mandatory with high penalties for fly tipping as a result of the imposition of mandatory legislation.
What action has been taken since the comments below ?
“However, we had referred your concern on recyclables collection to Environmental Protection Department for necessary action”
James Middleton
Chairman
HYPERLINK “http://www.cleartheair.org.hk/”www.cleartheair.org.hk

From: “mailto:alanyu@epd.gov.hk”alanyu@epd.gov.hk [mailto:alanyu@epd.gov.hk]
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 15:32
To: HYPERLINK “mailto:dynamco@netvigator.com”dynamco@netvigator.com
Cc: HYPERLINK “mailto:ytdoeh@fehd.gov.hk”ytdoeh@fehd.gov.hk
Subject: RE: FEHD Trash collection – no glass / plastic / paper recycling

Dear Mr. Middleton,
I refer to your email of 3.9.2011 addressed to FEHD which was subsequently referred to this department.
As indicated in their message below, FEHD only provide refuse collection service. For collection of recyclables, their service is only limited to recycling bins provided at public places such as roadside, refuse collection points and public interchange. Nevertheless, there are many recyclers in Hong Kong providing collection service for a wide range of recyclables including waste papers, metal, plastic, used cooking oil, etc. A non-exhaustic ? list of recyclers can be found in the “Hong Kong Collector/Recycler Directory” posted on our website below. You may contact the recyclers near your premises for arrangement of collection service.

HYPERLINK “https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/apps/vicinity_result.jsp?collection_type=collector&material_type=all&district_id=0″https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/apps/vicinity_result.jsp?collection_type=collector&material_t HYPERLINK “https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/apps/vicinity_result.jsp?collection_type=collector&material_type=all&district_id=0″ype=all&district_id=0

You may wish to know that our department has launched a programme of “Source Separation of Commercial and Industrial Waste” which aims to promote recycling of waste at commercial & industrial (C&I) premises. Under the programme, technical advice and support would be provided to our members such as the appropriate location for installation of waste separation facilities and other matters relating to waste recycling. In recognition of the commitment made by participating buildings, EPD will promote the Programme and its participants’ contribution through various media and organise forums and certificate presentation ceremonies regularly. Members with outstanding performance in source separation will be presented with awards and commendation certificates in the annual prize presentation ceremony. They may also be named as model members and invited to share their experience at EPD promotional activities, website and related publications.

You are cordially invited to join the programme. Details of the programme can be found in our website below:
https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/workplace/index.htm
If you have any questions on the above, please feel free to contact me at 2872 1711. Thank you for your support on waste reduction and recycling.

Alan Yu
Waste Reduction and EcoPark Group Environmental Protection Department Tel. 2872 1711
Fax. 2872 0389

Our ref: (10) in FEHD YT(EH) 80/1599/11

Dear Mr. James Middleton:
Thank you for your email dated 3.9.2011 to the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene concerning
trash collection at King’s Park Rugby Ground at Wylie Path.

Our Department provides refuse collection to the Kings Park Playground, but collection of recyclables in private area is out of our jurisdiction. Our refuse collection vehicle only collects refuse inside the refuse bins at the Kings Park Playground.

However, we had referred your concern on recyclables collection to Environmental Protection
Department for necessary action.
We will monitor the situation and take appropriate action to maintain environmental hygiene.
Should you have any queries, please feel free to contact our Health Inspector (Cleansing) Mr. KC LIU at
2302 1315. LAI Yau-yu
for Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene

From: James Middleton HYPERLINK “mailto:[mailto:dynamco@netvigator.com]”[mailto:dynamco@netvigator.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2011 10:25
To: HYPERLINK “mailto:dfehoffice@fehd.gov.hk”‘dfehoffice@fehd.gov.hk’
Subject: FEHD Trash collection – no glass / plastic / paper recycling

Dear Sir,
I bring your attention to the FEHD collection of trash at Kings Park Rugby ground in Wylie Path Kowloon
(and no doubt everywhere else in Hong Kong).
The HK Rugby Union staff religiously collects different kinds of refuse in specific containers, glass, paper and plastic bottles are all separated.
The FEHD trucks come to collect the trash which is then religiously dumped all together into the same truck for disposal.
This defeats the whole idea of separation of materials that could be recycled. I welcome your reply on this important matter.
Kind regards,
James Middleton Chairman HYPERLINK “http://www.cleartheair.org.hk/”www.cleartheair.org.hk

SCMP
Make an effort to support recycling
LEADER
Sep 03, 2011

The ushering in of a recycling culture in Hong Kong is, naturally, regarded as primarily the responsibility of the government. But there are choices we can all make which will help.

Ensuring that the paper we buy has been recycled is as necessary as separating waste, conserving and pressuring companies to package products responsibly. While paper constitutes about one-fifth of what is thrown into our fast- shrinking landfills, we have limited say over where it comes from. Where we can make a difference, though, is with tissue and toilet paper.

Companies decide whether office supplies, packaging, bills, brochures and books are made of recycled pulp. What we buy is quite another matter, though, and it is on the supermarket or pharmacy shelf that we have that power.

The problem is that most of what is stocked proclaims itself to be made of virgin fibre and producers and retailers make a point of advertising that. With health scares on the mainland about bacteria in tissue produced from recycled paper, it seems natural to turn to products that sound as if they are the safest, even if they are not the most environmentally responsible.

We should expect most tissues to be made of recycled fibre as they are usually thrown away after a single use. The world’s ever-growing demand means that some of the fibres used are not always from plantation forests. Producing products from recycled paper creates 75 per cent less air pollution and 30 per cent less water pollution, green groups contend. Making the switch is as easy as reading the fine print on packaging.

Certainly, seeking out the recycled brands available might involve changing and looking in out-of-the-way places. But it will be well worth the effort, if this helps change mindsets. While we wait for the government to move household recycling beyond plastic bags, we can take the process into our own hands.