Levy Exemption
At present, a number of local beverage manufacturers have established their own reuse arrangements, by which waste glass beverage containers of their brands are collected from market for rebottling after proper cleansing and sterilisation. The reuse of waste glass beverage containers is beneficial to the environment because it can save energy used in the manufacturing of glass containers from raw materials. The Government encourages any new reuse arrangements or the continuation of existing reuse arrangements that are underpinned by a robust and reliable monitoring and auditing system to ensure the glass beverage containers are recovered effectively and reused in an environmentally sound manner. To encourage local beverage manufacturers and other beverage suppliers to recover their used glass containers for reuse, the Producer Responsibility Scheme on glass beverage containers (GPRS) has provided for an exemption mechanism such that a registered supplier may be exempted from some of the obligations including payment of the container recycling levy provided that the supplier meets the criteria as set out in the law.
A registered supplier may submit application by post or in person, with the required information as follows:
- Duly completed specified form – Application for Exemption with Container Waste Reduction Plan (RA-6)
- Application fee ($9,250) – Payment of the application fee shall be made by cheque and is non-refundable. The cheque shall be crossed and made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region".
- A "Container Waste Reduction Plan" – Specifying, in relation to the glass-bottled beverages for which the exemption is sought, the arrangement for the recovery and reuse or recycling of the containers concerned.
The application process is normally completed within 15 working days after EPD's receipt of sufficient information and the Container Waste Reduction Plan is finalised.
For details of application for exemption and outline of Container Waste Reduction Plan, please refer to "A Guide for Registered Supplier Seeking Exemption from the Container Recycling Levy".