Good Practices

Government Corner

Biodiesel & Waste Cooking Oil (WCO)

Use of biodiesel: The biodiesel currently used in Hong Kong is mainly produced from waste cooking oils generated by local restaurants and other food premises. To promote recycling and waste-to-energy, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has been proactively encouraging government departments to use B5 biodiesel (i.e. B5 biodiesel which is a blend of 95% Euro V standard diesel and 5% biodiesel.), so as to set a leading example to promote progressive popularisation of biodiesel in Hong Kong.

Since 2012, the EPD has been working with the Government Logistics Department to implement a central procurement scheme of biodiesel. With technical support from the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the EPD has been proactively engaging government departments to try out fuelling their vessels, vehicles and equipment (such as boilers, generators and machinery) with biodiesel as a replacement of conventional diesel. The total consumption of biodiesel by government departments has jumped from around 2.6 million litres in 2012 to about 11.6 million litres in 2020.

Benefits of using biodiesel:

Recycle waste cooking oils (WCO) and convert to energy, which support sustainable development of the local recycling industry
Channel WCO to proper recycling outlets to prevent waste from getting back into food chain
Replace diesel with biodiesel to reduce emission of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutants
Convert of WCO to biodiesel provides an additional source of renewable energy for Hong Kong

Study on Possible Measures to Encourage Wider Use of Biodiesel in Hong Kong (Executive Summary)

"Waste Cooking Oils" Recycling Administrative Registration Scheme

EMSD: Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme

WSD: Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme

Public Works Corner

Wider use of electric vehicles (EVs)

The Government has been promoting a wider use of EVs through various incentive schemes. Adopting EVs in lieu of conventional vehicles can help improve roadside air quality and reduce carbon emissions. As stipulated in the Technical Circular (Works) No. 13/2020 promulgated by Development Bureau in 2020, the use of EVs in each public works contract has been specified in accordance with the minimum number as tabulated below.

Number of contract vehicles supplied in a public works contract	Minimum number of EVs (5-seater or 7-seater) to be specified
2-3	1
4-5	2
5 or above	3

Eco-paver (recycled glass in paving block)

In pursuing green procurement in the Government, the Environmental Protection Department has been encouraging bureaux/departments to incorporate green specifications/features during procurement, including the use of recycled and other green materials in public works projects. Since 2004, Highways Department (HyD) have mandated the use of recycled aggregates in concrete pavers (eco paver), in which recycled aggregates are crushed concrete or crushed rocks generated from construction or demolition works. From 2010, HyD have taken further initiative to use recycled glass cullet in concrete pavers and raised the glass cullet content from 20% to 25% by weight of the total aggregates. The total quantity of eco-pavers with recycled glass content of 25% used by the government reached 121,000 m² in 2019.

Recycled glass as fill materials in reclamation

The Government has been actively exploring other feasible applications in construction works to absorb waste glass recovery. For instance, glass sand from crushed bottles has similar technical performance of recycled aggregates and could potentially be suitable for use in site formation, earth filling and reclamation works. Glass cullet in suitable size may be used as backfill or sub-base in roadway construction works. Besides eco-pavers, recycled glass cullet can also be used for production of partition wall blocks.

With the coordination of Development Bureau and Environmental Protection Department, various departments are working together to explore and promote the use of materials with recycled glass in construction works. For the use of glass cullet in reclamation projects, about 9,400 tonnes, 8,100 tonnes and 2,300 tonnes of recycled glass cullet were provided by the Environmental Protection Department to the Three Runway System (3RS), Tung Chung New Town Extension (TCNTE) and Integrated Waste Management Facilities (IWMF) Phase 1 projects respectively, as at end June 2021.