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4-steps
to Set Up a Successful Waste Separation and Recovery Programme
Appendix
I
Marketability of Your Recyclables
A. Importance of Waste Separation
Waste
separation at source can enhance the homogeneity of the waste
recovered and minimise its level of contamination. Both the
technical and economic hurdles for recycling can then be lowered
and this increase the recycling viability. The following figures
illustrate the relative price of different kinds of well-sorted
recyclables:
B.
Some Tips to Increase the Value of Your Relatively Low-value
Recyclables
Paper
Paper
waste is divided mainly into 5 grades in the market: high
grade paper such as white writing paper & computer printout,
paper board & containers, corrugated containers, old newspaper
and mixed paper, in decreasing order of market price. It is
advisable to sort separately for the high grade paper if its
quantity is substantial. For most recovery programmes, sorting
for mixed paper is easily manageable. Stick to the following
separation practice to ensure the waste paper recovered is
recyclable :
| DO
Collect |
DON'T
Collect |
- Pure
paper waste (e.g. office paper, letter, forms, envelopes
[remove plastic window], newspaper and magazine [not
on glossy paper], books & reports [remove plastic
covers and plastic ring binders], etc.). [Note : paper
clips, staples, rubber bands need not be removed]
- Clean
and dry paper waste.
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- Composite
materials (e.g. packaging with paper, plastics, aluminum
foil and other materials, glossy paper, plastic coated
paper, etc.).
- Wax
paper, adhesive paper, carbon paper, blue print &
fax (thermal) paper.
- Contaminated
paper waste such as tissue and toilet paper, lunch
boxes, paper cups.
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Plastics
Plastic
waste is divided by resin type (chemical form) and there are
quite a number of resin types being used in the market. As
the homogeneity of the feedstock waste is particularly important
in plastic recycling, the plastic waste being recovered in
Hong Kong is mainly industrial scrap which is relatively homogeneous,
dry, clean and stable in supply. Recovery of domestic (post-consumer)
plastic waste has a very limited market because of its heterogeneous
and contaminated characteristics. The major forms of domestic
plastic waste in the market include PET bottles (mostly mineral
water and soft drink bottles), film canisters and large plastic
containers such as baskets. It is advisable for you to secure
an outlet before deciding on the form of plastic waste to
be recovered in your programme.
| DO
Collect |
DON'T
Collect |
- Homogeneous
waste (of a single resin type such as PET bottles,
film canisters).
- Clean
and dry waste.
- For
bottles, rinse and remove accessories such as lids
and labels which are usually made of other materials
or resins.
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- Composite
materials such as plastic packagings.
- Contaminated
waste such as food containers.
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Glass
Bottles
While
most of the locally-filled glass beverage bottles are being
recovered for reuse by the beverage manufacturers through
deposit-refund schemes, there is only a very limited market
for the non-refundable glass bottles. These non-refundable
glass bottles, if recovered, are either rinsed for reuse or
crushed for overseas recycling. It is advisable for you to
secure an outlet before recovering these non-refundable glass
bottles.
| DO
Collect |
DON'T
Collect |
- Bottles
with deposit-refund scheme.
- Bottles
with lids and labels removed.
- Bottles
with residues removed.
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- Small
or irregular-shaped bottles unless you have secured
an outlet.
- Containers
of hazardous chemicals unless throughly rinsed.
- Other
forms of glass such as light bulbs, window glass and
mirror unless you have secured on outlet.
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