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July 17th, 2013:

Plan to charge households, businesses for rubbish disposal

South China Morning Post

Published on South China Morning Post (http://www.scmp.com)

Home > Plan to charge households, businesses for rubbish disposal



Plan to charge households, businesses for rubbish disposal

Wednesday, 17 July, 2013, 12:00am

News›Hong Kong

Cheung Chi-fai chifai.cheung@scmp.com

Environment official says introduction of charging by 2016 could ease landfill pressures

At least a fifth of the city’s waste can be diverted from landfills if refuse charging is widely adopted by 2016, the undersecretary for the environment says.

https://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/2013/07/17/n1.gif?itok=9FPw0_JAMaking households and businesses pay for rubbish disposal is under serious consideration, Christine Loh Kung-wai said, as the city struggles to reach agreement on landfill extensions and the introduction of incineration.

Loh said waste could be reduced by at least 20 per cent by 2020, assuming a charge was introduced across the board from 2016.

“This is just a very conservative estimate,” she told the South China Morning Post yesterday. “But we are very serious about this. We will be extremely upset if we are not able to do this.”

Next month the Council for Sustainable Development will launch a four-month consultation to gauge views on how to implement waste charging.

The city dumps about three million tonnes of waste a year at the Tuen Mun, Ta Kwu Ling and Tseung Kwan O landfills, which have two to six years to go before they reach capacity. This compares with landfills elsewhere in the world, some of which have about 40 years left.

Lawmakers want officials to fine-tune their landfill expansion plans and waste strategies before resubmitting funding requests.

“Hopefully, people will see we are doing something,” Loh said, adding that more talks and visits to local communities were planned during the summer.

The bureau was also reviewing charges for construction waste disposal, introduced in 2006, which had diverted much rubbish from landfills, she said.

This is just a very conservative estimate. But we are very serious about this. We will be extremely upset if we are not able to do this

It also aims to reduce food waste by one-quarter by 2017 at the earliest, with citywide campaigns and the completion of two organic waste treatment centres.

On incineration, however, Loh said she would not underestimate the difficulties, noting strong opposition from residents living close to a proposed site near Shek Kwu Chau.

Topics:

Tuen Mun landfill

More on this:

Rural strongman has his own ideas for landfill site [1]



Source URL (retrieved on Jul 17th 2013, 5:14am): http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1284293/plan-charge-households-and-businesses-rubbish-disposal

Links:
[1] http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1284206/environmental-protection-department-probes-big-swings-citys-waste

https://e02.optimix.asia/trackingdata?imgtag=1&opxUid=0&opxEventID=2022&opxClientID=87&opxcounter=1

James Middleton
05:45 (17 hours ago)

to me

South China Morning Post

Published on South China Morning Post (http://www.scmp.com)

Home > Rural strongman has his own ideas for landfill site



Rural strongman has his own ideas for landfill site

Wednesday, 17 July, 2013, 12:00am

News›Hong Kong

DEVELOPMENT

Ada Lee ada.lee@scmp.com

The Environmental Protection Department has commissioned a study into the generation, recycling and disposal of plastic waste, trying to probe irregularities in the rate of waste recycling.

The study was revealed yesterday after a media report that cast doubt over the accuracy of recycling rate. The doubt originated in the inclusion by the EPD of exports of imported plastic waste that is recycled in the city.

The department last night rejected claims in the report that the recycling rate was misleading. It said the inclusion of export figures was common practice.

“The method is in line with international practices,” a spokesman said.

The spokesman also said calculation of the overall recycling rate was based on data collected from waste reception facilities, data submitted by local recyclers, export figures for recovered waste and information from inspections of local recyclers.

The EPD said 840,000 tonnes of plastic waste was recovered and recycled in 2011, down 47 per cent from 2010. During the same period, solid waste recycling also fell from 52 per cent to 48 per cent. The EPD said it noted the “unusual fluctuation”.

A source familiar with the situation said that might have arisen from a lack of rigour in the declaration system for waste imports and exports of plastic waste.

“There is currently not a sound system and most of the data is dependent on recyclers,” the source said.

There is currently not a sound system and most of the data is dependent on recyclers

They said the study was launched early this year to find out if there were flaws in the system and to identify how to revamp the declaration system. The study is expected to be complete by year’s end and the results will be made public.

Meanwhile, before the fate of the Tuen Mun landfill has even been decided, Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat has some suggestions for its next incarnation. Lau, who wants the government to withdraw its controversial expansion plan for the site, said yesterday that residents should have something to look forward to “when it is closed”.

He asked: “Should it become a park, or should they build a swimming pool or a football pitch there?”

Topics:

Tuen Mun landfill



Source URL (retrieved on Jul 17th 2013, 5:19am): http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1284206/environmental-protection-department-probes-big-swings-citys-waste

https://e02.optimix.asia/trackingdata?imgtag=1&opxUid=0&opxEventID=2022&opxClientID=87&opxcounter=1 South China Morning Post

Published on South China Morning Post (http://www.scmp.com)

Home > Look at waste-to-energy option



Look at waste-to-energy option

Wednesday, 17 July, 2013, 12:00am

Comment›Letters

The protests over the proposed landfill expansions have further highlighted the need for an independent review of Hong Kong’s waste management plan.

The government has recognised the problem, but is not able to present a convincing solution. Its solution, proposed by the last administration, and simply regurgitated by the current one, lacks any credibility and that is why an independent review is necessary.

The waste problem is for everybody in Hong Kong to solve. Any solution that seeks to dump the problem on one sector of the community or in one area is flawed.

Why should Tseung Kwan O residents accept one-third of Hong Kong’s total refuse? Why should South Lantau became the new dumping ground just because officials believe the small population will protest less than Tseung Kwan O or Tuen Mun residents?

A waste management policy should not be driven by short- term thinking or by adopting the line of least resistance.

The long-term goal must be to remove the existing landfill nuisance. This is possible over time as landfill waste can be used as fuel for modern waste-to-energy facilities. An independent review and an honest public debate will determine whether modern waste-to-energy incinerators are a health hazard. Technology has progressed a long way in recent years but the failure of government to convince Hong Kong people on this issue has resulted in stalemate – who should we believe?

In parallel with much greater efforts to recycle, and assuming there is a convincing case on the health issue, the government should proceed now with a waste-to-energy incinerator on, or adjacent to, each of the three existing landfills.

In addition, smaller waste-to-energy facilities should be located in other areas, including one for Lantau and the outlying islands, to reduce the transportation of waste and to send the right message that everybody in Hong Kong must be part of the solution.

To mitigate the nuisance, residents close to these facilities should benefit from a 50 per cent reduction in electricity bills. The government has enough money and should use it to encourage solutions, not ever more protests. Waste management is everybody’s responsibility. No more nimby (not in my backyard) thinking – it is time for concerted action by all.

It is time for the government, our legislators and district councils to face the problem and show true leadership in agreeing a solution acceptable to Hong Kong people.

G. Chan, Sai Wan Ho

Topics:

Tuen Mun landfill



Source URL (retrieved on Jul 17th 2013, 5:25am): http://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1284261/look-waste-energy-option

http://7thspace.com/headlines/440186/epd_clarifies_media_reports_on_arrangements_for_waste_plastic_disposal.html

https://e02.optimix.asia/trackingdata?imgtag=1&opxUid=0&opxEventID=2022&opxClientID=87&opxcounter=1 EPD clarifies media reports on arrangements for waste plastic disposal

Hong Kong (HKSAR) – In response to media enquiries about the arrangements for disposal of waste plastics, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) made the following clarification today (June 27):

The EPD has been stringently monitoring the disposal of waste at landfills and refuse transfer stations. The disposal of contaminated waste plastics which are not suitable for recycling is also subject to this strict monitoring requirement.

Responding to recent enquiries from the recycling industry on the monitoring arrangements, the EPD issued a document in mid-June to assist recyclers in understanding and complying with the relevant requirements. The monitoring arrangements will help ensure that (i) no waste plastics imported from other places are sent to the landfills or refuse transfer stations for disposal; and (ii) locally generated waste plastics which are still suitable for recycling are not delivered to landfills or refuse transfer stations for disposal.

Accordingly, EPD officers will conduct inspections at recycling plants to confirm compliance with the above requirements before the delivery of such waste plastics for disposal.

The document points out that waste plastics imported from other places are not allowed to be disposed of in Hong Kong and the EPD will require the recyclers or importers to return such waste to its place of origin. As for local recyclables that have been seriously contaminated and are not suitable for recycling, recyclers can contact the EPD to arrange the disposal of such waste at landfills or refuse transfer stations after inspection by the EPD.

If the waste plastics are found to be suitable for recycling, the EPD will follow up with the recyclers and provide assistance in recycling the materials.

Furthermore, the EPD has been working together with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD). Under the provisions of the recyclables collection services contract between the FEHD and the contractor, the latter is required to collect and handle different kinds of recyclables separately, and deliver the recyclables so collected to designated recyclers who are on the list of recyclables collectors/recyclers available on EPD’s website, on the same day. The contract also specifies that any litter or waste other than recyclables mingled with the recyclables inside the collection bins should be sorted out and disposed of at designated refuse collection points.

The FEHD attaches great importance to the performance of contractors. It monitors the work of contractors through regular and surprise field checks. Should any unsatisfactory performance or breach of contract provisions be found, punitive actions will be taken against the contractor concerned appropriately, which include the issue of warnings, default notices or deduction of monthly payment.

The EPD also calls on members of the public to carefully separate waste and avoid mixing recyclables with other waste that may cause contamination.

Recyclables containing food residues or drinks should not be thrown into waste separation bins so as to avoid contamination with other recyclables in the bins, causing them to be unsuitable for recycling.

Source: HKSAR Government

Air pollution kills millions each year, says study

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23315781

15 July 2013 Last updated at 17:35

Air pollution kills millions each year, says study

By Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News

Description: Description: Man walking along a polluted street (Image: AP)Air pollution is considered to be one of the major environmental risks facing the world’s population

Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

Outdoor air pollution is estimated to contribute to more than two-and-a-half million deaths each year, a study has suggested.

It calculated that, each year, 470,000 people died as a result of ozone and 2.1 million deaths were linked to fine particulate matter.

Air pollution increased respiratory and heart disease risks, with the young, elderly and infirm most vulnerable.

The findings appear in the Environmental Research Letters journal.

“Epidemiological studies have shown that ozone and PM2.5 (particulates with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns – about 30 times thinner than the width of a human hair) have significant influences on human health, including premature mortality,” an international team of scientists wrote.

In order to reach their estimate, the researchers compared the results from a range of earlier mathematical models on deaths from air pollution.

They found that their total was lower than previous estimates.

But the team added: “Our methods likely underestimate the true burden of outdoor pollution because we have limited the evaluation to adults aged 30 and older.

“On the other hand, recent studies suggest that the relationship between PM2.5 and mortality may flatten at high concentrations, suggesting that we may overestimate PM2.5 mortality in regions with very high concentrations.”

Global problem

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is difficult to identify the world’s most polluted areas because many cities with high levels of air pollution do not have monitoring systems in place.

Description: Description: Factory furnace, China (Getty Images)Heavy industry in developing nations is a major source of air pollution

“Nevertheless, the available data indicates that air pollution is very high in a number of Asian cities (Karachi, New Delhi, Kathmandu, Beijing), in Latin American cities (Lima, Arequipa) and in Africa (Cairo),” it observes.

But the WHO adds that although most air pollution hotspots are located in developing nations, it says that developed countries are also at risk and the issue is a major environmental risk globally.

As air quality is largely beyond the control of an individual, the WHO says action needs to be taken by national and international bodies.

In 2005, WHO published its Air Quality Guidelines that recommended limits of air pollutants, including PM2.5 and ozone.

“Continued exposure to particles contributes to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as lung cancer,” the WHO states.

“The mortality in cities with high levels of pollution exceeds that observed in relatively cleaner cities by 15-20%,” it adds.

“Even in the EU, life expectancy is 8.6 months lower [as a result of] exposure to PM2.5 produced by human activities.”

Ozone pollution is linked to breathing problems, such as asthma, reduced lung function and lung disease.

Feeling the heat

The research, conducted by an international team of scientists, also looked at how changes to the planet’s climate system as a result of human activities could have affected the impact of air pollution, such as changes in temperature and humidity.

While being a contributing factor to climate change, previous studies had considered how the emissions could create conditions that exacerbated poor air quality, such as the way an increased concentration of chemicals interacted with sunlight.

Another change is the way higher temperatures affect plants’ biochemical characteristics.

Trees use chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to attract pollinators as well as deter damaging attacks from insects and larger animals.

However, higher temperatures can cause many tree species to emit more VOCs into the atmosphere, which reacts with sunlight to form ozone or more particulates.

Using a model of ozone and PM2.5 atmospheric concentrations from 1,850 and 2,000, the researchers concluded changes to the climate since pre-industrial times accounted for only a small proportion of the current deaths related to air pollution.

They calculated that about 3,700 deaths each year could be attributed to the effects of past climate change on air quality.

The team observed: “As models continue to develop and comprehensively represent the mechanisms by which climate change might influence air quality, we should expect that large estimates based on different models will likely persist.”

Hong Kong sees pyrolysis as hedge against ‘green fence’

http://www.prw.com/subscriber/headlines2.html?cat=1&id=3148

Hong Kong sees pyrolysis as hedge against ‘green fence’

By Steve Toloken, Plastics News

Posted 12 July 2013

While China’s “green fence” crackdown on recycled material imports has caused some painful adjustments for recyclers, one Hong Kong company is suggesting some relief could come from building a pyrolysis factory to convert plastic waste to fuel oil.

Hong Kong Telford Envirotech Group, which has three plastics recycling plants in Hong Kong and two in neighbouring Guangdong province in China, is proposing to build the pyrolysis plant, which would have an initial capacity of processing 7,200 metric tons of waste plastic annually.

It would start operations in 2015 in Hong Kong’s Tuen Mun section, according to an application Telford filed with local government officials.

The company sees it partly as a hedge against recent restrictions on waste material imports into China — including the so-called “green fence” crackdown that began in February, said Joanne Lee, project manager for Telford, in a July 11 interview with Plastics News.

Those February restrictions, which are in many ways the toughest yet in China, have had an impact broadly on Hong Kong’s plastics recyclers.

One Hong Kong recycling industry trade group said earlier this month that an estimated 10,000 metric tons of waste plastic that in the past would have been sent to China for recycling has instead been landfilled in Hong Kong.

Officials with the Federation of Hong Kong Recycle told the South China Morning Post newspaper that Hong Kong plastic recycling companies are losing on average £20,000 per month because of the new policy.

Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory of 7 million people, lacks enough of its own capacity to process the materials, the group said.

Lee said Telford believes its pyrolysis plant can make Hong Kong less dependent on mainland China and other markets for its waste plastics.

Lee said even before the “green fence” restrictions, mainland Chinese government officials would once or twice a year implement new policies that would make it more difficult to bring in waste materials, even for companies like Telford that have proper licenses.

She said the company would likely send lower-value materials like low density polyethylene bags or PVC to the waste-to-fuel plant, but continue to recycle higher-value materials like PET bottles.

She said the material that’s now being thrown away in Hong Kong is probably lower-quality plastic: “If the 10,000 tons is PET bottles, it would not be thrown into the landfill.”

Telford could eventually triple the capacity of the pyrolysis plant, Lee said. Initially, the operation would produce up to 4,300 metric tons of fuel oil a year.

The company is proposing building the facility at an industrial park for environmentally oriented businesses in Tuen Mun, where the company already has an existing plastics recycling operation.

The project is currently undergoing an environmental assessment, Lee said.

Beyond the new restrictions from mainland China, Hong Kong also faces home grown pressures on waste issues. The territory’s environmental protection department says that its three landfills will run out of space in the next six years.

In Telford’s initial proposal to the Hong Kong government in January, it said the plant could also help Hong Kong more broadly meet its waste reduction goals, including further developing its local recycling industry.

China’s ‘Green Fence’ makes unprecedented cuts in recycled plastic imports – News – Plastics News

http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20130519/NEWS/130519922/china-s-green-fence-makes-unprecedented-cuts-in-recycled-plastic-imports#

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China’s ‘Green Fence’ makes unprecedented cuts in recycled plastic imports

By Steve Toloken
Staff Reporter / Asia Bureau Chief

Published: May 19, 2013 2:35 pm ET
Updated: May 19, 2013 2:38 pm

Topics Sustainability, Recycling, Materials Suppliers, CHINAPLAS

GUANGZHOU, CHINA — China’s “Green Fence” crackdown on dirty scrap materials has reduced imports of plastic waste by 5.5 percent in the first four months of the year, a significant change for a country long-used to double-digit increases in recycled materials flowing in.

Imports of scrap plastic bound for recycling factories in the country fell to 2.4 million metric tons from January through April, after the Chinese government in February started implementing what recycling industry officials say is the toughest crackdown yet on imports of scrap materials.

The disclosure of the 5.5 percent drop, in figures provided by China’s General Administration of Customs at a mid-May conference in Guangzhou, is one of the first statistical indications that the Green Fence policy is having a big impact on the industry.

While that drop may sound small, it’s a major change in direction for an industry that has seen scrap polymer imports grow four-fold in the last decade and was accustomed to nothing but increasing volumes.

Chinese government officials say they are trying to limit pollution from dirty or contaminated waste materials such as scrap paper or plastics from other countries, and see the policy as a way to force the local industry to upgrade to higher, cleaner standards.

But some recycling industry executives, while supporting those goals, say the policies are also hurting legitimate businesses by causing long delays clearing materials at customs, creating shortages of materials in manufacturing plants, and cutting into profits.

Speaking at a meeting of Chinese plastics recyclers in Guangzhou May 18-19, Chinese government representatives said they plan to continue the “Green Fence” operation through October or November.

The next phases will include exerting tighter control over the limited number of licenses issued to import scrap materials in China, including the practice of companies selling licenses, government officials said at the conference, sponsored by the Beijing-based China Scrap Plastics Association conference.

Steve Wong, executive chairman of the CSPA and chief executive officer of Hong Kong-based recycler Fukutomi Co. Ltd., said that the crackdown is the most serious in China yet.

It’s not a result of new law but rather much stricter enforcement of existing laws, he said.

China has had other crackdowns over the last few years, including a more localized one that saw scrap plastic imports through the port of Guangzhou, one of China’s largest for recycled materials, drop 52 percent in the first half of 2012.

Other ports in the country at the time reported an increase in scrap plastic imports, as shipments were rerouted, but the new Chinese government figures point to the tighter policies being applied country-wide.

Wong said this particular initiative is more serious because it’s part of a package of environmental policies supported by the country’s top leaders, including current President Xi Jinping.

He said for Fukotomi, imports of scrap plastic have dropped 30 percent, and some companies at the conference pointed to similar drops for them.

But for other companies, the policies are proving beneficial.

Ni-Met Metals and Minerals Inc., an Oakville, Ontario-based recycler, said it’s seeing increased demand from its customers in China because of Green Fence and the resulting shortage of materials there.

The company has always only supplied materials that clearly meet Chinese standards, so it’s had no problems clearing customs, said Rajiv Shah, vice president of plastics with the company.

“We’ve had a philosophy of behaving in a socially-responsible manner and that is paying off now,” said Shah, in an interview at his company’s booth at the show.

Customs officials said they see the policy as helping the industry upgrade.

“This Green Fence is like a purification which will facilitate the further development of this industry,” said Lu Xi Sen, an official with the Tianjin office of China’s customs administration.

One recycler, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the policy had a dramatic impact on the company in February, when it was unable to get any materials to its factory in eastern Guangdong province.

But the company, which does not have a license to import materials directly, found a solution that works around the limits.

It buys its material from a factory that has that license, and while that practice may not be legal because factories with licenses are supposed to recycle all the material they import themselves, it’s becoming a common solution, the manager said.

“Everyone is doing like this,” the manager said. “Maybe some huge factory is not but most of the small factories do this.”

He said part of the problem is that the government limits the number of licenses, and getting one can be difficult and require political connections, creating incentives for corruption

Waste plastic can’t be dumped in HK

So before China’s ‘Green Fence’ initiative HK companies were importing scrap plastic then re-exporting it to China and these quantities were included in Hong Kong’s recycling figures ?

http://www.news.gov.hk/en/categories/environment/html/2013/06/20130627_183423.shtml

Waste plastic can’t be dumped in HK

June 27, 2013

The Environmental Protection Department has clarified that waste plastics imported from other places cannot be disposed of in Hong Kong.

The department made the clarification today in response to media enquiries about the arrangements for disposal of waste plastics.

The department said it has been stringently monitoring waste disposal at landfills and refuse transfer stations. The disposal of contaminated waste plastics unsuitable for recycling is also subject to this strict monitoring requirement.

It issued a document in mid-June to help recyclers understand and comply with the requirements.

The document states waste plastics imported from other places cannot be disposed of in Hong Kong, and must be returned to its place of origin.

Recyclers can contact the department to arrange for disposal of local recyclables that have been seriously contaminated. If the waste plastics are found to be suitable for recycling, the department will follow up with the recyclers and provide assistance in recycling them.

Under the recyclables collection services contract between the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department and the contractor, the latter is required to collect and handle different kinds of recyclables separately, and deliver them to designated recyclers on the same day.

The contract also specifies that any litter or waste other than recyclables mingled with the recyclables inside the collection bins should be sorted out and disposed of at designated refuse collection points.

Should any unsatisfactory performance or breach of contract provisions be found, punitive actions will be taken against the contractor concerned, which include the issue of warnings, default notices or deduction of monthly payment.

EPD clarifies media reports on arrangements for waste plastic disposal

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201306/27/P201306270607_print.htm

Press Releases

EPD clarifies media reports on arrangements for waste plastic disposal
******************************************************

In response to media enquiries about the arrangements for disposal of waste plastics, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) made the following clarification today (June 27):

The EPD has been stringently monitoring the disposal of waste at landfills and refuse transfer stations. The disposal of contaminated waste plastics which are not suitable for recycling is also subject to this strict monitoring requirement.

Responding to recent enquiries from the recycling industry on the monitoring arrangements, the EPD issued a document in mid-June to assist recyclers in understanding and complying with the relevant requirements. The monitoring arrangements will help ensure that (i) no waste plastics imported from other places are sent to the landfills or refuse transfer stations for disposal; and (ii) locally generated waste plastics which are still suitable for recycling are not delivered to landfills or refuse transfer stations for disposal. Accordingly, EPD officers will conduct inspections at recycling plants to confirm compliance with the above requirements before the delivery of such waste plastics for disposal.

The document points out that waste plastics imported from other places are not allowed to be disposed of in Hong Kong and the EPD will require the recyclers or importers to return such waste to its place of origin. As for local recyclables that have been seriously contaminated and are not suitable for recycling, recyclers can contact the EPD to arrange the disposal of such waste at landfills or refuse transfer stations after inspection by the EPD. If the waste plastics are found to be suitable for recycling, the EPD will follow up with the recyclers and provide assistance in recycling the materials.

Furthermore, the EPD has been working together with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD). Under the provisions of the recyclables collection services contract between the FEHD and the contractor, the latter is required to collect and handle different kinds of recyclables separately, and deliver the recyclables so collected to designated recyclers who are on the list of recyclables collectors/recyclers available on EPD’s website, on the same day. The contract also specifies that any litter or waste other than recyclables mingled with the recyclables inside the collection bins should be sorted out and disposed of at designated refuse collection points.

The FEHD attaches great importance to the performance of contractors. It monitors the work of contractors through regular and surprise field checks. Should any unsatisfactory performance or breach of contract provisions be found, punitive actions will be taken against the contractor concerned appropriately, which include the issue of warnings, default notices or deduction of monthly payment.

The EPD also calls on members of the public to carefully separate waste and avoid mixing recyclables with other waste that may cause contamination. Recyclables containing food residues or drinks should not be thrown into waste separation bins so as to avoid contamination with other recyclables in the bins, causing them to be unsuitable for recycling.

Ends/Thursday, June 27, 2013
Issued at HKT 19:23

NNNN

Macau lagging behind in plastic recycling

And no doubt the HKG import/re-export of Macau’s plastic was included in HKG’s ‘recycling’ figures ……………..until operation China ’Green Fence’ exposed it

http://www.macaudailytimes.com.mo/macau/45239-macau-lagging-behind-in-plastic-recycling.html

Macau lagging behind in plastic recycling

10/07/2013 07:52:00 Sum Choi

image

Plastic is causing global pollution. Like many other countries, Macau is aiming to live greener by reducing the use of plastic materials, collecting used products, and recycling the collected plastics. In comparison with neighboring regions, however, Macau is only gaining ground in the first two initiatives, and faces an uphill mission when it comes to recycling plastic materials. The Macau Ecological Society lists the reasons why Macau is underdeveloped in plastic recycling.
In response to the Times’ inquiry about plastic control, the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) said their “Environmental Protection Fund” program launched in 2011 has so far (up to late May 2013) collected some 159,000 kg of plastic materials such as bottles, bags and other products through the facilities placed in over a dozen residential buildings across the city.
The department also has facilities in public places, which collected some 32,400 kg of plastics last year, or a monthly average of 2,700 kg. According to the authority’s 2012 annual report, plastic collection has been making progress in recent years, increasing from 47,008 kg in 2010 to some 64,368 kg last year.
But that is just a small percentage of the total amount of plastic consumed. Take plastic bags, one of the most widely used plastic products; DSPA’s survey (released last month) showed that each Macau citizen used 2.2 bags each day, creating an annual consumption of 450 million. The bags accounted for 4 percent of the total weight of all forms of solid waste produced by the city.
As a solution, the government has been implementing a “no-plastic bag day” on the 18th and 28th of each month. But the DSPA survey found only 20 percent of respondents knew about the program.
The authority is considering taking punitive measures, and studies have been made on the viability of imposing a MOP0.5 levy on each plastic bag used by shoppers. This measure was implemented in Hong Kong a few years ago. The survey showed that the Macau public is receptive of the idea: more than 60 percent of the respondents agreed to follow HK’s example by imposing the tax on users. Only around 20 percent of the respondents expressed reservations or outright opposition toward the proposal.
When it comes to plastic recycling, however, Macau lacks activity. DSPA did not give any statistics or plans for the area. The Macau Ecological Society said there’s a reason for this blackout.
“Macau’s plastic recycling market is too small to form a sizable industry to support a sustainable operation of recycling plants,” the environmental group told the Times. “Currently, recyclable solid waste, such as metals, papers and plastic, is all shipped to Hong Kong and then imported elsewhere (the mainland) for recycling.”
The green group said the business sector previously tried to establish and operate recycling plants in Macau, collecting plastics, tyres, paper, and even used cooking oil (for making soap). However, the collected waste was far below the quantity necessary to generate an economic impact and make the industry sustainable.
However, similar trials seem to have taken off in Taiwan. According to Anna Beech of Civic Exchange, Taiwan established the Plastics Industry Development Centre – funded by Taipei and the private sector – in 1992. It assists Taiwanese plastic industries by improving equipment, developing new materials, promoting international co-operation, and sharing technological advances to enhance competition.
“In 2011, 193,000 tonnes of plastic were recycled at a rate of 75 percent,” the senior project manager said. “These recycled plastics were made into products like clothes, toys, materials for building and construction, furniture, car parts and electronic products, generating some USD170 million in revenue.”
“In Hong Kong, we have reached crisis point. We produce 1,700 tonnes of plastic waste every day, yet we don’t have the infrastructure to deal with it. Instead, we ship it across the border to recycling plants on the mainland,” she lamented.
The situation in Macau is similar. The Ecological Society said they proposed that the government set up Macau’s own industrial park for plastic recycling. Over the past three years, the society has met regularly with authorities to discuss the proposal. However, the government rejected the idea, as no land is available for the project.

EPD – Control on Import and Export of Waste and recycling stats

http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/guide_ref/stat_wt.html

HKG Recycling = Reshipping

http://news.yahoo.com/china-puts-green-wall-us-trash-134108953.html

Hong Kong Government’s ‘recycling’ statistics ? Import it-Do nothing with it – Export it to China – Enhance local recycling figures ? China Operation ‘GREEN FENCE’ will decimate HKG’s ‘recycling’ figures.

Chart of Hong Kong's Wast Trade (Import & Export) Statistics

http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/guide_ref/stat_wt.html

Control on Import and Export of Waste

Statistics

Waste Trade Statistics

Chart of Hong Kong's Trade (Import & Export) StatisticsThe transboundary movements of waste in Hong Kong are mainly caused by international trading of waste for recycling purposes. The majority of these recyclable non-hazardous wastes such as plastic waste, metal waste and scrap paper are destined for recycling in Hong Kong or the nearby areas. The substantial volume of waste import, export and re-export activities are driven mainly by the manufacturing and industrial activities in southern China and their demand for recovered scrap materials as raw materials.

Image of Waste Flow with Major Waste Trade PartnersThe USA, Japan, and other regions in southern China are the major waste trade partners of Hong Kong. In general, waste is shipped from developed countries such as the USA, Japan, and the United Kingdom through Hong Kong into southern China.
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Chart of Hong Kong Waste Import and Export Figures (2007-2011)

Chart of Hong Kong Waste Import and Export Figures (2007-2011)

Image of Hong Kong Waste Import

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Waste reduction and recycling are very important elements of the local waste management framework. They help both to conserve natural resources and to reduce demand for valuable landfill space.

Through the existing waste recovery system, about 3.02 million tonnes of municipal solid waste were recovered in Hong Kong in 2011. Of that total, 1% was recycled locally and 99% was exported to the Mainland and other countries for recycling, with an export earning of HK$8.2 billion for Hong Kong.

Major Materials Recovered / Recycled in 2010

The Environmental Protection Department encourages waste reduction and recycling activities. Since 1991 it has provided a helpline service to help the public organize waste reduction and recycling programmes. It also provides information on recyclers and technical advice on waste recovery and recycling. In 2011, we received 5,000 enquiries from the public.

Value of Exported Recyclable Materials in 2010

Remark: Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding off.

Statistics of Municipal Solid Waste Recovered in 1991-2010

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Major Materials Recovered/Recycled in 2011

Type

Paper

Plastics

Ferrous Metals

Non-ferrous Metals

Others

Exported

1278.4

839.3

667.3

105.5

84.7

Recycled Locally

0

3.9

0

9.6

30.7

Quantity of waste (x 1 000 tonnes)

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CTA Letter

Download PDF : CTAletterPanelEAJul172013

James Hansen: Fossil fuel addiction could trigger runaway global warming

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/earth-insight/2013/jul/10/james-hansen-fossil-fuels-runaway-global-warming

James Hansen: Fossil fuel addiction could trigger runaway global warming

Without full decarbonisation by 2030, our global emissions pathway guarantees new era of catastrophic climate change

Nasa image of planet Earth

Nasa image of planet Earth. Photograph: Ho/Reuters

The world is currently on course to exploit all its remaining fossil fuel resources, a prospect that would produce a “different, practically uninhabitable planet” by triggering a “low-end runaway greenhouse effect.” This is the conclusion of a new scientific paper by Prof James Hansen, the former head of NASA‘s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the world’s best known climate scientist.

The paper due to be published later this month by Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A (Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A) focuses less on modelling than on empirical data about correlations between temperature, sea level and CO2 going back up to 66 million years.

Given that efforts to exploit available fossil fuels continue to accelerate, the paper’s principal finding – that “conceivable levels of human-made climate forcing could yield the low-end runaway greenhouse effect” based on inducing “out-of-control amplifying feedbacks such as ice sheet disintegration and melting of methane hydrates” – is deeply worrying.

The paper projects that global average temperatures under such a scenario could eventually reach as high as between 16C and 25C over a number of centuries. Such temperatures “would eliminate grain production in almost all agricultural regions in the world”, “diminish the stratospheric ozone layer”, and “make much of the planet uninhabitable by humans.”

Hansen and his co-authors find that:

“Estimates of the carbon content of all fossil fuel reservoirs including unconventional fossil fuels such as tar sands, tar shale, and various gas reservoirs that can be tapped with developing technology imply that CO2 conceivably could reach a level as high as 16 times the 1950 atmospheric amount.”

They calculate that there is “more than enough available fossil fuels” to generate emissions capable of unleashing “amplifying feedbacks” that could trigger a “runaway” greenhouse effect “sustained for centuries.” Even if just a third of potentially available fossil fuel resources were exploited, calculations suggest, this scenario would still be guaranteed, meaning decisions we make this century will determine the fate of generations to come.

James Hansen‘We don’t have a leader who is able to grasp [the issue] and say what is really needed. Instead we are trying to continue business as usual,’ said James Hansen in 2009. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

“Governments are allowing and encouraging fossil fuel companies to go after every conceivable fuel”, said Hansen, “which is an obtuse policy that ignores the implications for young people, future generations and nature. We could make substantial parts of the Earth uninhabitable.”

The conclusions of Hansen’s latest paper are stark:

“Most remaining fossil fuel carbon is in coal and unconventional oil and gas. Thus, it seems, humanity stands at a fork in the road. As conventional oil and gas are depleted, will we move to carbon-free energy and efficiency – or to unconventional fossil fuels and coal?

… It seems implausible that humanity will not alter its energy course as consequences of burning all fossil fuels become clearer. Yet strong evidence about the dangers of human-made climate change have so far had little effect. Whether governments continue to be so foolhardy as to allow or encourage development of all fossil fuels may determine the fate of humanity.”

The new paper by James Hansen is just the latest confirming that we are on the verge of crossing a tipping point into catastrophic climate change. Other recent scientific studies show that the current global emissions trajectory could within three years guarantee a 2C rise in global temperatures, in turn triggering irreversible and dangerous amplifying feedbacks.

According to a scientific paper given at the Geological Society of London last month, climate records from Siberian caves show that temperatures of just 1.5C generate “a tipping point for continuous permafrost to start thawing”, according to lead author Prof Anton Vaks from Oxford University’s Department of Earth Sciences. Conventional climate models suggest that 1.5C is just 10-30 years away.

Permafrost thawing releases sub-ice undersea methane into the atmosphere – a greenhouse gas twenty times more potent that carbon dioxide. In June, NASA’s new five-year programme to study the Arctic carbon cycle, Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE), declared:

“If just one percent of the permafrost carbon released over a short time period is methane, it will have the same greenhouse impact as the 99 percent that is released as carbon dioxide.”

Another paper suggests that conventional climate modelling is too conservative due to not accounting for complex risks and feedbacks within and between ecosystems. The paper published in Nature last Wednesday finds that models used to justify the 2C target as a ‘safe’ limit focus only on temperature rise and fail to account for impacts on the wider climate system such as sea level rise, ocean acidification, and loss of carbon from soils. It concludes that the 2C target is insufficient to avoid dangerous climate change.

The problem is that our current global emissions trajectory already commits us to a 2C rise anyway. Papers published by the Royal Society in 2011 showed that emissions pledges would still put the world on track for warming anywhere between 2.5C and 5C – and that a failure to deliver these pledges could see global temperatures rise by 7C by 2100. Amongst them, a Met Office study concluded that strong amplifying feedbacks – such as the oceans’ reduced ability to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide leading to further warming – could see us reach 4C as early as 2060.

But as Hansen explained in a recent interview:

“Four degrees of warming would be enough to melt all the ice… you would have a tremendously chaotic situation as you moved away from our current climate towards another one. That’s a different planet. You wouldn’t recognise it… We are on the verge of creating climate chaos if we don’t begin to reduce emissions rapidly.”

After the last round of climate talks in Doha, a report by Climate Action Tracker concluded that the world is currently on path to see warming of 3C by 2040, triggering the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and Arctic permafrost.

This was corroborated last month by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which found that even with current climate policies in place, we are locked into a rise of between 2C and 5.3C. Two years ago, the IEA concluded that we had five years left to implement urgent energy reforms after which we would no longer be able to avoid dangerous climate change. We are now three years away from that point-of-no-return.

To make matters worse, the IEA’s analysis is based on conventional models which do not fully account for amplifying feedbacks such as methane releases from permafrost thawing. The IPCC’s forthcoming Fifth Assessment Report, like its predecessors, will specifically exclude the permafrost carbon feedback from its projections.

The implication is that policymakers are riding blind – we do not really know how close we are to a tipping point into catastrophe.

There is a solution. According to Hansen, we need to focus on a maximum target of 1C. “The goal of keeping warming close to 1C is to keep climate close to the Holocene range, thus avoiding any major amplifying feedbacks,” he said.

“The 1C goal requires rapid phase out of fossil fuel emissions, which would require a rising carbon fee. To continue to burn every fuel that can be found is the opposite approach – they are day and night.”

Such a rapid fossil fuel phaseout was proposed to the Parliamentary Environment Audit Committee early last year in the form of complete decarbonisation of power by 2030. Unfortunately, the UK bill to that effect was narrowly defeated in the House of Commons last month.

There is still hope – the bill is currently up for consideration by the House of Lords. If the bill eventually passes, Britain might still play a leading role in heralding the energy revolution that could help save the planet, while saving the nation up to £100 billion.

Dr Nafeez Ahmed is executive director of the Institute for Policy Research & Development and author of A User’s Guide to the Crisis of Civilisation: And How to Save It among other books. Follow him on Twitter @nafeezahmed