EPD Partnership with Trade & Industry

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Complaints about cooking fumes, odours and smoke from restaurants increased significantly in the late 1990s, leading the EPD to form a partnership programme with the trade to address the problems. The "Helping the Restaurant Trade Environmental Programme" emphasizes voluntary compliance and pollution prevention. It aims to improve restaurants' environmental performance and working conditions, reduce costs and enhance the trade's image.

The programme involves technical support and development, environmental education, collaboration with stakeholders, waste reduction and resources conservation. The services have been recently updated including a revamped Green Restaurant Website, a hotline service by our Compliance Assistance Centre (tel. 2838 3111) and a "List of Environmental Pollution Control Equipment Suppliers/Contractors".

To maintain communication and partnerships, the EPD holds regular liaison with the food and restaurant trade and related stakeholders including the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, the Association of Restaurant Managers, the Association of Hong Kong Catering Services Management, the Hong Kong Food Council, the Business Environment Council and the Hong Kong Productivity Council.

Tying these strands together, the EPD with the support from the trade organized various activities including exhibitions, conferences, talks, workshops, seminars and technical visits.

The EPD is also working with other government departments to improve co-ordination. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is one department we are working with, to streamline the licensing procedures for restaurants.

The EPD has published a series of compliance assistance guides and promotional materials for reference by the trade practitioners.

The EPD has launched the "Green Restaurant Website" (http://www.greenrestaurant-hk.org) which contains relevant information on the programme and details of reference materials (e.g. legislative requirements, environmental technologies, activities and consultant/contractor lists) for reference by the restaurant and related trades.