Hong Kong has had its share of garbage problems, e-waste in particular. Ranging from old appliances to busted computers, disposing of them requires the proper approach.
The Hong Kong government hopes the Producer Responsibility Scheme can aid consumers in properly disposing of electronic waste. The regular service launched last Aug. 1, a free service anchored on Alba IWS, the Hong Kong Free Press said.
Under the scheme, sellers of select electrical equipment are required to arrange a free removal service for old appliances of customers once they buy a new one. Once the new one is delivered, the dilapidated or worn out appliance/s are delivered to a government-licensed recycler.
Aside from Alba IWS, Hong Kong has two other licensed recyclers. The scenario not only facilitates the proper disposal of e-waste but also assists in helping to raise funds, using sellers as channels.
Hong Kong deals with over 70,000 tonnes of e-waste annually, 80-percent of which is shipped overseas. The rest of those are dumped in landfills. E-waste has been known to contain harmful materials, a threat to the environment and people if not disposed of in the right way. Exporting is seen as more of a temporary solution, as the search for the right and more sustainable manner of disposing of them continues.
Under the Producer Responsibility Scheme, covered are air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, TV sets and computer-related peripherals. Sellers will be required to pay the HK government somewhere between HK$15 to HK$165 (roughly $2 to $21) per item to finance the waste removal service although some have mentioned that this will be passed on to the consumers (indicating price hikes on items).
The move only covers sellers and not buyers. According to Open Gov, buyers can still dispose of old electrical items like regular trash. However, Secretary for the Environment, Mr. Wong Kam-sing urges consumers to be more vigilant and use the removal service instead since it stands as a more feasible and sustainable solution, resulting in better effects on the environment.
While the initiative means well, some sectors claim that the service has been slow. Wong addressed these and explained that collectors would generally arrive three days after purchase (on a new appliance is made). He further adds that all licensed contractors have the proper capacity to handle the collection of e-waste demands.
Once collected, all waste is brought to WEEE-Park Treatment and Recycling Facility at the EcoPark in Tuen Mun. From there, they are detoxified, dismantled and transformed into secondary raw materials (i.e., plastic, aluminum or iron) that can either be reused or placed in landfills in a cleaner and safer way.
