Law revisions will be tabled to lawmakers on May 21, making mandatory the provision of a refuse storage and material recovery room on every floor of new domestic buildings and the domestic part of new composite buildings from December 1, the Environmental Protection Department says.

The Building (Refuse Storage & Material Recovery Chambers & Refuse Chutes) (Amendment) Regulation 2008 was gazetted today.

The new requirement aims to provide sufficient space on every floor to facilitate implementation of the source separation of domestic waste programme rolled out city-wide in 2005. It will also help prevent potential fire hazards and hygiene problems posed by improper placing of refuse storage and waste separation facilities in lift lobbies, corridors and staircases of buildings.

The mandatory requirement will not be applicable to hotels, guest-houses, boarding houses, hostels or dormitories. It will also not be applied to floors not designed for habitation, such as clubhouse or car park.

Domestic buildings, or the domestic part of composite buildings, designed for occupation by one single family only and with not more than three floors designed for habitation, will be exempted from the requirement. Also exempted will be domestic buildings or composite buildings with one staircase only and domestic buildings or composite buildings on a site area of not more than 500 square metres.

The amended regulations will follow the existing arrangements relating to the requirement for the provision of refuse storage and material recovery chambers in new buildings, whereby building plans showing the provision of the required refuse storage and material recovery room on every floor are required to be submitted to the Building Authority for approval before building works can start.