Please select: Overview Health and Hygiene Waste Water Energy Air Noise EHS Procurement Material Consumption Hazardous Materials Estate Landscaping and Greening Safety Partnerships and Awareness Initiatives at Our Own Office
			Our Role in Addressing Waste Issue Reducing Construction and Demolition Waste Waste Reduction and Recycling in Our Estates Working with the Community Convenient Access to Recycling Bins Our Role in Addressing Waste Issue Hong Kong is facing a shortage of landfill space, and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) predicts that our landfill will be full within the next seven to 11 years if waste disposal volumes continue at the present rate. According to the EPD, the two main sources of waste disposed at landfills in Hong Kong are domestic waste, and construction and demolition (C&D) waste. The Housing Authority (HA) has been implementing waste management schemes to reduce domestic and C&D waste, and will continue to deliver green messages to our tenants and our stakeholders to promote the 4R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Replace. The Wastewi$e Scheme on waste management jointly organized by the Environmental Campaign Committee, the EPD and the Hong Kong Productivity Council gives recognition for the third consecutive year to our achievements in waste reduction, the collection of recyclable materials and purchases of recycled products. Reducing Construction and Demolition Waste C&D waste can be reduced through effective waste management. In this regard, we have explored a number of opportunities to reduce C&D waste during the design, construction and demolition phases of building projects. In 2003 / 04 we disposed of 619 400 tonnes of inert material and 58 300 tonnes of non-inert material from our piling and demolition works to various public fills and landfills respectively. Year-on-year, this total represents a 7% decrease. In order to achieve our target of sustainable housing, some basic strategies we have implemented during the year included:   Deconstruction of old buildings to recover reusable and recyclable materials;   Working with building designers to incorporate durable, reusable materials into design plans;   Extending building lifetime through effective maintenance;   Recovery of reusable materials from construction sites; and   Use of recovered materials in all building construction projects. Selective Demolition In line with the principle of 4R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Replace, we have implemented a selective demolition pilot project at three school blocks in Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate. By first removing fittings then fixtures and building components and finally demolishing a building structure, we are able to:   Minimize construction and demolition waste generation;   Minimize contamination of inert demolition materials; and   Maximize material recycling and reuse. Waste Reduction and Recycling in Our Estates
			We have launched a series of campaigns in our estates and these have received valuable support from residents. It was reported in the HA's Public Housing Recurrent Survey 2004 that 60% of households felt that the HA supported environmental protection in public housing. In 2003 / 04, 147 estates participated in our Waste Recycling Campaign. Year-on-year, the quantity of domestic waste generated per person per day in our estates remained steady at 0.82 kg, but was 0.27 kg less per person per day than the Hong Kong average[1]. Overall, the domestic waste recovery rate on our estates was broadly consistent with previous years. Our waste recovery rates during the year for paper and aluminum cans were 16% and 22% respectively, which compared favourably with the average domestic waste recovery rate (all materials) in Hong Kong of 8% to 14%. Our recent consultancy study on Environment Hazardous Process in Factories Estates proposed provision of recycling bins for non-hazardous industrial wastes within our factory estates. Working with the Community Through years of community activities, our achievement in waste reduction today is established through the active involvement of our residents. During the year we implemented a number of waste recycling schemes and trials. Waste Recovery Trial Eighteen Housing Department direct-managed estates joined the trial scheme in March 2004 and the scheme was aimed to encourage greater public participation in recycling. Plastic Bags Recovery Trial Five of our public rental housing estates and five Home Ownership Scheme courts joined the plastic bags recovery trial organized by the EPD during the year.
			Convenient Access to Recycling Bins We have continued the effort in providing recycling bins at convenient locations in our estates to enable tenants to develop environmentally friendly disposal habits. From our Public Housing Recurrent Survey 2004, some 84% of public housing households reported to have a good knowledge of the function of recycling bins and used this disposal option. Currently, over 127 000 units in eight housing estates have easy access to separation bins in the common areas of their floors. Through raising tenant awareness and promoting participation in waste management, we hope to develop a culture of shared responsibility for environmental protection among our residents.

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