Green machine: The mobile collection vehicle visits different points in Hong Kong to collect used electrical and electronic equipment.

Computer products have always been popular gifts during this Christmas and New Year festive season. The Environmental Protection Department invites people who are about to discard old products to use the free collection services provided under the Computer Recycling Programme instead.

Supported by the department and green groups, the programme is a city-wide recycling initiative jointly funded by 20 major computer manufacturers and suppliers.

Members of the trade have formed the Hong Kong Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment Recycling Association to manage the scheme.

Positive response 

The programme accepts desktop computers, laptops, computer monitors, printers, scanners, and other computer-related products, such as keyboards, memory sticks, mouse units, headsets and speakers.

In the first 10 and a half months since its launch in mid-January, about 18,500 used computer products were collected under the programme, including about 7,600 main units, 4,600 monitors and 6,300 printers/scanners.

Of these, 1,000 reusable items of better quality (5.4%) were given to a charitable organisation for donation to the needy, while the remaining non-reusable products were dismantled for recycling.

Computer sources

More than 630 housing estates and commercial/industrial buildings have signed up with the programme, which arranges computer collection activities once every four to six months on a roster basis.

The department's mobile collection vehicle also visits each of the 18 districts in Hong Kong on both Saturday and Sunday once every four to six months to collect used electrical and electronic equipment including computers, electrical appliances, spent fluorescent lamps and rechargeable batteries.

The collection service will be provided in Kowloon City, Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan and Wan Chai from mid-December to late January. For the service schedule, click here.

Collection points

People can also bring used computers and parts to 14 designated collection points. Some of them operate outside office hours and on public holidays to cater for people who are busy on weekdays.

People should call the collection point before bringing the used computer items there. For a list of the collection points, click here.

Free pick-up services are also provided by the programme's contractor - Li Tong Group - to individual buildings and companies with more than 10 major computer items. For more details, call 2690 0660.