To safeguard the health and welfare of the community from adverse environmental effects associated with the handling and disposal of wastes by developing a sustainable waste management strategy, providing waste management facilities and enforcing the controls in the Waste Disposal Ordinance. Asahi Clean Centre, Kawaguchi City. Spittelau Thermal Waste Treatment Plant, Vienna. (Vienna Representative Office-China, Photos by Mr L. Ilger & Mr E. Schauer) Air pollution is no longer a problem with state-of-the art thermal treatment plants. By optimising the combustion conditions and adopting advanced gas cleaning and pollution abatement equipment such as fabric filters, scrubbers and activated carbon powder injection system, modern thermal treatment plants can comply with or even outdo the most stringent environmental standards. About 130 million tonnes of municipal solid waste are combusted annually worldwide. Most of the incineration facilities are located in more advanced economies such as Japan and the EU countries. Some overseas modern thermal treatment plants, which are equipped with state-of-the-art gas cleaning technologies, have been transformed into prominent landmarks in their communities by incorporating attractive architectural designs. They even include community betterment facilities, such as spas and swimming pools, which provide benefits for everyone in their neighbourhoods. Chemical Waste Treatment Centre. The Chemical Waste Treatment Centre (CWTC) has been operating since 1993 and currently treats around 40 000 tonnes of chemical waste a year. It has been designed to meet stringent environmental standards and has performed admirably, with an environmental and engineering consultancy study concluding in 2006 that the CWTC does not cause any adverse environmental impacts. However, international environmental standards have changed in recent years. The European Union has some of the toughest standards in the world and, while most of the current CWTC’s emission levels still meet those standards, they fall short for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The contract for the CWTC expires in April 2008, providing a good opportunity to upgrade its air pollution control system. The CWTC will also be installed with additional facilities in 2008-09 for receiving and treating clinical waste, thus enabling controls to be implemented on the treatment and disposal of this waste. The local community has been briefed on the changes to reassure them they will be safe and environmentally acceptable. Getting people to recycle more can only be effective if there are outlets for their waste. Since land is at a premium in Hong Kong, the EPD has been developing the $257 million EcoPark to provide affordable, long-term land for recycling and environmental industries. Construction started in July 2006 and a management company was appointed in November. Tenders were also invited in December for occupancy of the first three lots at EcoPark, which are intended for recycling plastics, waste tyres, wood, plaster, glass and other building materials. These lots will be awarded in 2007. In addition, the Government has leased 36 short-term tenancies on 7.4 hectares of land elsewhere to recyclers. WEEE Recycling Days encouraged people to recycle waste electrical and electronic equipment. Kowloon Bay Waste Recycling Centre. The EPD has also converted a temporarily closed refuse transfer station into the Kowloon Bay Waste Recycling Centre to promote recovery and recycling. Since September 2005 the centre has been used for two pilot programmes run by two charitable groups, Caritas and St. James Settlement. Caritas Hong Kong collected 32 500 used Cathode ray tubes are recycled at a workshop in the Kowloon Bay Waste Recycling Centre. computers and accessories in the first year and repaired 9 800 items for donation to the needy. The rest are dismantled and their parts sold for re-use or recycling. St James Settlement collected 20 400 waste electronic and electrical equipment in the same period and repaired 6 400 items. Repaired appliances are donated to the needy or, if no suitable receiver is found, they are sold and the revenue gained will be put back into the programme. Those beyond repair are dismantled for re-usable or recyclable parts. A third pilot programme was started in 2006 to recycle cathode ray tubes and recover useful material from waste computer monitors and televisions. The programme is operated by Caritas and uses a recycling process designed by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The Government has been taking the lead in green procurement so as to set a good example of environmental protection to the rest of the community. When it comes to reducing waste, we have implemented recovery and recycling programmes within our offices and facilities. We have also sought to promote a market for recycled goods by purchasing recycled products. For example, our public works contracts require the use of recycled materials such as recycled aggregates and recycled asphalts. In the past four years we also have purchased more than $180 million worth of green products such as recycled paper and office stationery. Mandatory environmental specifications have been introduced for 30 types of products, covering not only waste, but also energy efficiency and other environmental issues. A footpath in EcoPark is built with eco-paving blocks made with recycled glass.