The Environmental Protection Department today said it will formulate additional measures to maintain the local recycling capacity of beverage cartons before a modern pulping facility begins operation in 2025.

In 2020, it started planning to build a large-scale modern pulping facility in Tuen Mun's EcoPark which is expected to begin operation in 2025. By then, Hong Kong will possess the recycling capacity to process all locally-collected beverage cartons.

To maintain the local recycling capacity of beverage cartons before the modern pulping facility starts operation, the department said it will formulate additional measures.

From the perspective of environmental protection and recycling, the existing waste paper recycling plants will also be able to turn beverage cartons into paper pulp, provided that those plants have enough space for installing additional equipment.

The department is preparing to arrange contractors to produce paper pulp with all the beverage cartons collected at the GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities.

In terms of legislation, the Government plans to submit the bill of producer responsibility schemes on plastic beverage containers and paper beverage cartons to request beverage manufacturers to take up the environmental responsibilities of collecting and recycling the two types of beverage packing in the future to build a complete recycling chain.

Regarding the recent discussions in society about the tenancy renewal of beverage carton recycling plant Mil Mill in Yuen Long InnoPark, the department reiterated that it immediately liaised closely with the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation and contacted Mil Mill's person-in-charge.

The Government has provided the person-in-charge with the information on three short-term tenancy sites that are exclusively used by the recycling industry and will be open for tender as well as the lots in EcoPark.

Despite Mil Mill indicating that the three sites were not suitable for their use, as soon as other short-term tenancy sites available for the recycling industry open for tender, the department will provide them with information for consideration, so they may continue to provide services in Hong Kong.