Letter to the Editor of SCMP - Response to letters on recycling of glass

 
Letter to the Editor of SCMP – Response to letters on recycling of glass

I refer to the letters headlined “Brick offers glass solution” on 1 December from Mark Chan and “Brick invention is eco-friendly” on 2 December from H.P. Kerner regarding the recycling of used glass bottles to make bricks.

The Environmental Protection Department has been exploring possible means to enhance glass recycling. In November 2008, we launched a Glass Container Recycling Programme for the Hotel Sector in collaboration with the Hong Kong Hotels Association and eleven major hotels. Under the programme, used beverage glass containers generated from the participating hotels are collected for reprocessing at a local recycling plant, which will crush the containers into glass sand and use it as an engineering material in the production of paving blocks.

The relatively low scrap value of glass containers as compared to other materials like paper, plastic and metals has posed a major challenge to the promotion of glass recycling in Hong Kong. Local recycling is further constrained by the absence of large scale investment in manufacturing plants using used glass as the material in large quantity.

We will continue to explore possible means to extend the recycling programme to more hotels and other sectors in the near future. It is also the Government's policy to encourage departments to, as far as practicable, use environmental friendly materials in carrying out works projects. We appreciate your readers' suggestion and support.

Patrick Lei
for Director of Environmental Protection