Current Status
High liquid content waste (HLCW) includes liquid food (such as beverages, sauces and ice cream), personal care products (such as shower gel and moisturising cream), as well as other liquids (such as paint and cleansing agents). As these products are typically disposed of in intact packaging and in bulk, the packaging materials (such as paper boxes, aluminium cans and glass bottles) are recyclable, while the liquid contents can also be properly treated through suitable treatment systems. They are therefore more suitable for recycling or reuse. In 2025, the total quantity of HLCW disposed of at landfills was approximately 1,500 tonnes, equivalent to about 100 double-decker buses.
Existing landfills are primarily designed to handle solid waste. Waste with a high liquid content may affect leachate treatment, odour control and the overall operational safety of landfills. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) is working with the trade to progressively reduce the disposal of such waste at landfills, with a view to promoting waste reduction at source and resource recycling, and in support of the “Zero Landfill” policy direction.
Latest Arrangement
The EPD has been regulating the disposal of HLCW through the “Disposal of Special Waste at Landfills Admission Ticket” system, and actively encouraging the trade to adopt more environmentally friendly and sustainable treatment options. With effect from 1 May 2026, the EPD has adjusted the admission ticket approval arrangement and, in general, will no longer issue new admission tickets for the disposal of HLCW at landfills. In exceptional circumstances where landfill disposal of such waste is genuinely necessary, applicants must provide reasonable justifications and relevant information explaining why other treatment options are not viable, and submit a transition plan towards recycling or other sustainable treatment options. The EPD will assess each application on a case-by-case basis, taking into account actual needs, and impose appropriate admission conditions to assist the trade in gradually adopting more sustainable waste handling practices.
High Liquid Content Waste Management Strategy
The EPD encourages the trade to take the following measures to reduce the generation and disposal of HLCW:
- strengthen inventory management to reduce expired products;
- donate products that are properly packaged and still usable to social welfare organisations or charities;
- resell suitable products at discounted prices; and
- for products unsuitable for donation or resale, install their own processing equipment or engage recyclers with relevant treatment capabilities.
If the trade encounters technical difficulties in implementing alternative arrangements, it may contact the EPD for assistance. The EPD will continue to maintain communication with the trade and, after fully taking into account operational and practical circumstances, determine the arrangements and timetable for full implementation.
Reduction at Source
Strengthen Inventory Management
The trade may strengthen inventory management by improving procurement, storage and sales arrangements, thereby reducing the generation of HLCW arising from products expiry, packaging updates, returns, or slow-moving stock.
Donation of Usable Products
Products that are properly packaged, unopened and still usable may be donated to social welfare organisations or charities for the benefit of people in need. Individuals and organisations interested in donating surplus food may click here to learn more.
Other donations channels include (in no particular order):
- Po Leung Kuk
- St. James' Settlement
- S.K.H. St. Christopher's Home
- The Salvation Army
- Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
Resale of Suitable Products
The trade may also consider reselling products that are still usable or edible at favourable prices through suitable platforms, such as (in no particular order):
The above lists are not exhaustive. If your company/organisation would like to be included in this list, please provide the name, address, telephone number and relevant donation/resale service details of your company/organisation by email to enquiry@epd.gov.hk. Please state "High Liquid Content Waste Arrangement" in the email subject.
Installation of Processing Equipment
The Government also provides funding support through the Recycling Fund to the recycling industry and eligible organisations to carry out HLCW-related projects, including the purchase or upgrading of processing equipment, so as to properly treat the relevant liquid waste and recover recyclable packaging materials (such as paper boxes, aluminium cans and glass bottles).
Information on Funding Support for Projects Related to HLCW
Engage Recyclers with Relevant Treatment Capabilities
The recycling industry has begun introducing automated equipment that can effectively separate liquids from packaging materials, significantly reducing the amount of liquid and waste packaging materials requiring disposal at landfills. When handling HLCW, recyclers should first carry out appropriate treatment and ensure that the quality of any effluent complies with the relevant requirements under Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO) (Cap. 358) before discharging it into public sewers.
Companies /Organisations Capable of Handling HLCW
| Company / Organisation Name (In no particular order) |
Address | Telephone number |
|---|---|---|
| Christian Family Service Centre | Room 509, Wah Shing Industrial Centre, 11 Shing Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon | 2861 0283 |
| The Loops Hong Kong |
Room B2, 23/F, Prince Industrial Building, 706 Prince Edward Road East, San Po Kong, Kowloon |
5663 4002 |
| Wing Kai Destruction and Recycle Company | No. 6, Ping Fuk Lane, Ping Shan, Yuen Long, New Territories, Hong Kong | 2342 2392/ 9380 3084 |
The above list is not exhaustive. If your company/organisation would like to be included in this list, please provide the name, address, telephone number and relevant HLCW handling/recycling service details of your company/organisation by email to enquiry@epd.gov.hk. Please state "High Liquid Content Waste Arrangement" in the email subject.
Users may refer to this webpage or the “Hong Kong Collector and Recycler Directory” to identify suitable recyclers for arranging the handling of relevant HLCW. For further information on other collectors and recyclers, please click here to view the “Hong Kong Collector and Recycler Directory”.
Declaration
The above lists are compiled to facilitate the reduction of disposal of HLCW at landfills in Hong Kong, and aim to provide useful information to parties interested in promoting the recycling of HLCW.
As information on companies/organisations/recyclers may change with market conditions over time, users should contact the relevant companies/organisations/recyclers directly after identifying a suitable companies/organisations/recyclers from the lists or directory.
The above lists contain non-exhaustive lists of companies/organisations/recyclers capable of handling high liquid content recyclable materials or waste. The information of the companies/organisations/recyclers listed is compiled based on information provided by the respective companies/organisations/recyclers. The Hong Kong SAR Government does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the above lists, and accepts no responsibility for any errors therein to users of the lists or to the companies/organisations/recyclers listed therein.
The inclusion of any companies/organisations/recyclers in the above lists does not in any way imply endorsement by the Hong Kong SAR Government. The non-inclusion of any companies/organisations/recyclers in the above lists should not be construed as indicating any negative view held by the Hong Kong SAR Government towards that organisation.
The EPD does not issue licences to general waste recyclers (except for chemical waste collectors). If any company improperly claims to be “EPD-registered”, “EPD-recognised” or ‘EPD-licensed” recycler, the EPD will remove its relevant record without prior notice.
The EPD assures that the information provided by the relevant companies/organisations/recyclers will be used solely for updating EPD’s database and promoting the development of waste recovery and recycling industry, and will not be used for other purposes.