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Chapter 3. The Approach
- Throw Less, Pay Less |
| 39. |
"Big Market,
Small Government" is what Hong Kong people believe in
and what the Government practises. It is only when the market fails
that the Government should intervene. The ever increasing trend of
MSW over the past decades is a case in point where the free market
has failed, and where the true cost of our consumption-led lifestyle,
particularly the significant environmental cost, is not reflected
to each individual. To rectify the problem effectively, we must put
the full cost back to our consumption equation, so that each individual
can have the right economic incentive to choose a more sustainable
way of living that involves producing less waste and recycling more.
In this chapter, the Government lays out its approach to achieve sustainability
in MSW management by describing the waste hierarchy and explaining
how our proposed policy tools in the hierarchy can provide the incentives
to induce changes in our behaviour and attitude towards waste. |
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The
Waste Hierarchy |
| 40. |
The waste hierarchy is
our framework for actions. The waste hierarchy has been the
guiding principle for managing MSW worldwide since first introduced
in 19753. The Government's strategy is to adopt a three-tiered
approach in the waste hierarchy, which involves, in descending order
of priority:
| • |
Avoidance and minimisation; |
| • |
Reuse, recovery and recycling;
and |
| • |
Bulk reduction and disposal |
|
| |
3The EU's
Waste Framework Directive of 1975 introduced the term waste hierarchy
as European waste policy. In 1989, it was formalised into a hierarchy
of management options in the European Commission's Community Strategy
for Waste Management and further endorsed in the Commission's review
of this strategy in 1996. |
| 41. |
The three-tiered
approach is adopted to achieve sustainable MSW management.
The first priority - avoidance and minimisation - is to address the
problem at source and to encourage people to reduce waste generation
as much as possible. If it is not feasible to avoid generating waste
in the first place, the waste generated should be minimised as much
as possible, through avenues such as appropriate product design or
minimal packaging. |
| 42. |
The next priority is to maximise the reuse, recovery
and recycling of suitable recyclable materials. To make recycling
work efficiently, robust sorting, collection and distribution systems
must be in place. Equally important are the market outlets for the
recycled materials. In fact, the recycling industry is a key element
in a "circular economy", whereby recyclable materials generated
in economic activities are returned to the consumption loop as a result
of reuse, recovery and recycling. Through the loop of a "circular
economy", we could achieve the most efficient use of resources
and materials, while producing as little waste as possible. |
| 43. |
Once the possibilities of waste avoidance, minimisation
and recycling have been exhausted, we must properly treat and reduce
the volume of residual waste through appropriate treatment technologies.
It is a commonly accepted principle that all waste should be properly
treated prior to disposal at landfills to prevent long-term liabilities.
The direct disposal of untreated MSW causes leachate and landfill
gas (LFG) emission, and would result in long-term environmental burden.
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| 44. |
In economic terms, waste avoidance, reduction
and recovery generate high return with relatively less investment.
The Government has been working hard on these areas to achieve the
most with our limited resources, and will continue to do so. |
| 45. |
Domestic waste commands
special attention. Based on 2004 figures, each of us generates
1.35 kg of waste a day that requires disposal, out of which about
1.0 kg, or 74%, arises from the domestic source. Surveys show that
only 14% of domestic waste is recovered, in sharp contrast to the
recovery rate of 60% to 70% for commercial and industrial waste. This
striking difference results from commercial and industrial waste being
generally less diverse and less contaminated than domestic waste,
thus more readily separable for recycling programmes. Also, commercial
and industrial waste producers are required to pay for collecting
and transporting their waste to landfills, thus having the economic
incentive to reduce their waste. |
| 46. |
Clearly, domestic waste has the greatest potential
for improvement in terms of recovery and recycling, and this is exactly
where we shall devote our attention and enhance our efforts. With
the very low recovery rate for domestic waste, we must take ownership
of the problem, and take actions at a personal level. |
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The
Role of Policy Tools and Support Measures |
| 47. |
Effective policy tools in the waste hierarchy
are those that induce appropriate actions and achieve outcomes that
further the overall objective of the Policy Framework. In MSW management,
the policy tools we propose are meant to encourage waste avoidance
and minimisation; waste separation and sorting; reuse and recycling;
and bulk reduction and treatment. Each of our proposed policy tools
works hand in hand, and aims to generate a knock-on effect that is
more than the simple sum of all tools. The proposed policy tools,
if implemented, will be supported by both legislation and sustained
education programmes to ensure public buy-in and general compliance.
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| 48. |
The proposed MSW management strategy involves: |
| Proposed
Policy Tools |
Waste
charging - provides a significant effect on changing behaviour
and puts in place the "polluter-pays" principle |
| PRSs
- put the onus on the producers and users of products (i.e. the
community) to share the responsibility for all the economic, social
and environmental impacts of a product throughout its lifecycle |
| Landfill disposal bans
- divert MSW away from premium and expensive landfill space |
| Support Measures |
Public education and Partnership
- soft measures to raise awareness, increase understanding,
and foster partnerships with the community and businesses |
| Legislation - necessary
to ensure compliance and penalise those who engage in environmentally
harmful behaviour and practices. |
| Table 4. Proposed Policy tools and support measures |
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Waste
Charging |
| 49. |
MSW management is not free. There are several
sound reasons for why waste charging is vital to putting in place
an integrated approach to waste management. Hong Kong citizens do
not pay directly for the costs of collecting, handling and disposing
of the waste they generate. The annual cost of MSW management, nearly
$1.2 billion, comes out of the public purse. Therefore, there are
no economic incentives for anyone to reduce the volume of waste, or
to reuse or recycle waste. |
| 50. |
To establish a clear linkage between consumption
and the environmental costs entailed, we propose to impose a direct
and explicit charge on each individual for the amount of waste one
discards. In other words, the full cost of managing MSW would be placed
squarely on those people who generate MSW in the first place. This
is fully consistent with the "polluter-pays" principle,
which the public generally support. International experience has shown
that where waste charges are in operation, the waste volume decreases
and the rate of avoidance, as well as recycling, goes up. |
| 51. |
Waste charging is a direct
tool to change behaviour. A consumption-led lifestyle where
out-of-fashion products, whether new or used, are casually thrown
away, imposes a huge burden on the waste management infrastructure
and is clearly unsustainable. By imposing a direct charge on MSW,
people are compelled to rethink their consumption and disposal behaviour
and become more conscious about the adverse environmental consequences.
They are not only in control of how much they pay for disposing of
their waste by exercising a choice on purchasing, but more importantly,
to play a part in reducing waste and protecting the environmental
well being of Hong Kong. |
| 52. |
We can pay less by throwing less. Separation of
waste at source is pivotal in the Government's strategy to reduce
the amount of waste requiring treatment and disposal. By imposing
a direct charge on MSW, households are given an economic incentive
to separate those recyclable materials from the waste stream, thus
lowering the MSW charge they need to pay. Less waste being produced
translates into lower long-term waste management costs and less need
for landfills and other waste management facilities. The potential
of environmental returns is likely to be multi-fold, and the benefits
go to both the Government and the community. |
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Producer
Responsibility |
| 53. |
A shared responsibility
shall be imposed amongst manufacturers, handlers and end-users.
Each product has economic, social and environmental impacts at different
stages of its lifecycle. We must hold the producers and the users
of products responsible for the products they produce and consume.
The Government proposes to establish a framework for introducing PRSs
for specific products, with priority given to those that have significant
impacts on waste disposal, in either how they are produced, packaged,
consumed or after the end of their lifespan. |
| 54. |
PRSs place the obligation for managing certain
products on the producers, distributors or sellers of the products.
A well-designed PRS spurs producers to design products that generate
less waste, or that can be reused or recycled. Extended PRSs extend
the concept further to a shared responsibility for all the economic,
social and environmental impacts of a product throughout its lifecycle
among consumers, the industries and the distributors that are involved
in that product. We want not only the commercial and the industrial
sectors to rethink the way they approach a product from design to
disposal, but also consumers to make wise decisions on purchasing,
reuse and disposal of products. |
| 55. |
PRSs play a key role in
sustaining a dynamic local recycling industry. In a "circular
economy", waste generated as a result of economic activities
is returned to the consumption loop. Recycling not only slows down
the rate of depletion of natural resources, but also reduces the pollution
from manufacturing activities. Over the years, we have made significant
headway in recycling. As much as 2.3 million tonnes of MSW are recovered
as recyclable materials annually. Yet, 90% of these materials are
exported for recycling, working against the proximity principle and
subjecting ourselves to volatile global demand. By establishing a
long-term, stable and local source stream of recyclable products and
materials through PRSs, the Government hopes to develop and sustain
the local recycling industry that puts the concept of a "circular
economy" in practice. |
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Landfill
disposal bans |
| 56. |
Landfill disposal bans
protect our precious landfills. Biodegradable wastes like
kitchen and restaurant waste are known to create LFG and leachate.
LFG is malodorous and potentially suffocating, flammable and explosive.
Leachate is highly polluting and, if not properly controlled, may
seriously contaminate water bodies through infiltration or direct
discharge of leachate. The decomposition of biodegradable waste
is a slow and non-homogenous process. This results in differential
settlement of the landfill surface that may lead to slope instability
problems for many years. In fact, the total cost of maintaining
some 300 ha of closed landfill sites to address their environmental
problems amounts to $62 million per year. We must save our precious
landfill capacity and reserve it for inert or unavoidable waste.
A ban on biodegradable waste, proposed to be introduced in the longer
term, allows landfills to last longer and makes them less of a long-term
environmental burden. Such ban is also in line with overseas practices
such as the EU Landfill Directive, which lays down progressively
lower limits on the biodegradable content of landfilled waste.
|
| 57. |
Landfill disposal bans have sound economic
reasons. They not only ease the pressure on landfill space, but
also ensure a stable and long-term source of recyclable materials
for the recycling industry or the second-hand goods market. They
will focus on products that can easily be separated from the main
waste stream and have a recycling value or proper treatment outlets.
Other than the recovery of valuable materials, the landfill disposal
bans tie in with the Government's overall MSW management strategy
that emphasizes waste avoidance, reduction, reuse and recycling.
They complement MSW charging and PRSs to ensure that certain waste
types are recovered.
|
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Public
Education and Partnership |
| 58. |
Public education and partnership
form the foundation of our policy tools. To implement the proposed
policy tools successfully, the community's full support is crucial.
People must understand the need to change old practices and appreciate
the advantages of our policy tools. Appeals and advertising campaigns
help to raise awareness, but the greatest impacts have come through
a more direct approach - by reaching out. A sustained, community-wide
education and partnership programme will play a significant and long-term
role in reinforcing the importance of MSW avoidance, reduction, reuse
and recycling. |
| 59. |
We must target the young by starting at schools.
A key agent of change is the education sector, where our future generations
are nurtured. The development of responsible behaviour and environmentally
friendly habits will hinge upon inculcating in students civic awareness
and social responsibility to care about our environment through waste
reduction. School curriculum plays an important role in developing
responsible behaviour, which can be promoted through moral and civic
education, environmental education as well as subjects such as General
Studies at the primary level, Social Studies, Liberal Studies, Integrated
Humanities and Science subjects etc. at the secondary level. |
| 60. |
Partnerships with the business community are
critical. Businesses are important partners in MSW management. The
well-celebrated WasteWi$e initiative has encouraged and recognised
thousands of businesses that proactively reduce their waste. Through
the participation of the business community, we can demonstrate
to the wider public how our policy tools can really work, and instil
the concept of sustainable MSW management in our 3.3 million strong
labour force.
|
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Legislation |
| 61. |
Legislative backing for
the policy tools is needed. The Government must be firm and
fair, and legislative backing for our proposed policy tools is indispensable.
Once legislation is enacted, regulatory measures will be put in place
to ensure that MSW charging, PRSs and landfill disposal bans are complied
with. Monitoring and enforcement will deter and penalize those environmentally
harmful practices such as "fly-tipping" and ensure that
products and materials are properly recovered for reuse or recycling. |
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Summary |
| 62. |
As a true believer of free market,
we have proposed to put economic incentives at work through the
policy tools in the three-tier waste hierarchy : avoidance and
minimisation; reuse, recovery and recycling; and bulk reduction
and disposal. To generate the highest return with our limited
resources, the Government's efforts focus on waste avoidance and
recovery. We believe that the three major proposed policy tools
- waste charging, PRSs, and landfill disposal bans - and the two
key complementary measures - public education and partnership
and legislation - would work hand in hand and have a knock-on
effect:
| • |
Waste charging
promotes the "polluter-pays" principle and provides
economic incentives to induce behavioural changes; |
| • |
PRSs emphasize the shared
responsibility and provide an added incentive to recover and
recycle, thus sustaining a dynamic local recycling industry;
while |
| • |
Landfill disposal bans prevent
valuable, recyclable and unstable MSW from entering landfills
so as to extend their usable life, reduce long term environmental
burden and complement the first two policy tools. |
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| 63. |
To put these policy tools at work, legislation
will be introduced. The Government will also reinforce the key message
of waste reduction and recycling through public education and partnership. |
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