The Environmental Protection Department today said it instructed the operator of GREEN@HUNG HOM to clean up the large amount of recyclables piled up outside the recycling store during the Christmas holiday upon learning of the incident.

The operator then cleaned up all the recyclables in yesterday morning.

Expressing concern about the situation, the department said in a statement that it will issue a warning letter to the operator of GREEN@HUNG HOM, requiring it to prevent similar incidents from happening.

The department had earlier instructed all recycling store operators to pay special attention to the potential accumulation of recyclables during holidays.

To avoid a recurrence of similar incidents, the department will mandate all GREEN@COMMUNTY operators to provide additional services during holidays in future to regularly clean up recyclables accumulated in the recycling cage trolleys or bins outside the stores.

The operators are also obliged to enhance the remote access function of the closed-circuit television system to strengthen the monitoring of the situation outside the stores, so that they can make prompt arrangements to clear up the recyclables.

To prepare for the implementation of municipal solid waste charging, the department has been expanding the community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNTY to strengthen support for recycling facilities at the district level.

Except for the Christmas and Lunar New Year holidays, all recycling stores are open all year round from 9am to 7pm. During non-operating hours, each recycling store is equipped with recycling cage trolleys or bins outside the stores to provide self-service recycling. 

Members of the public should avoid leaving the recyclables outside the stores or on the pavement when the recycling cage trolleys or bins are full.