October 18, 2012

The glass-bottle source-separation pilot programme has been extended to cover all 29 public rental housing estates in the East Kowloon region, enabling more people to participate in glass recycling to build a greener Hong Kong.
 
The Environmental Protection Department said today the programme's extension marks a new phase in glass recycling, adding the Government will continue to encourage the community to participate in waste separation at source and recycling to pave the way for the implementation of territory-wide glass bottle recycling in future.
 
The nine new estates are Choi Hung, Kai Yip, Ko Yee, Lei Yue Mun, Lok Wah (North), Lok Wah (South), Ping Shek, and Wo Lok Estates, and the newly established Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate which will start implementing glass-bottle recycling in January.
 
Light green glass bottle recycling bins have been placed alongside the three coloured waste separation bins at the lobbies or near the entrances of residential blocks at the estates to enable residents to separate waste for recycling.
 
From the programme's launch in 2010 to the end of September, about 145 tonnes of glass or 360,000 glass bottles had been collected for recycling. The results are encouraging.
 
The collected bottles will mainly be recycled into glass sand for the production of eco-friendly paving blocks.
 
The department is working with relevant departments to look into other feasible recycling outlets for glass to extend the programme.