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In the densely populated Hong Kong, waste is a troublesome issue. The territory generates around 6.4 million tons of waste each year, and by 2015, its existing landfills are expected to be full. The government has introduced waste management schemes and is working to educate the public on the subject. On the commercial side, producers are taking up measures to reduce waste.
Contents
Statistics
Hong Kong EPD (Environmental Protection Department) provides data and statistics about waste management.
Overview
In Hong Kong, wastes generated can be categorised as municipal solid waste, construction and demolition waste, chemical waste and other special waste, including: clinical waste, animal carcasses, livestock waste, radioactive waste, grease trap waste and waterworks/sewage sludges. Current (2012), according to Waste Atlas 1st Report waste generation in Hong Kong is around 3,3 million tonnes per year or 464 kg/cap/year.
Processing
Wastes in Hong Kong are first collected from disposal bins to refuse transfer stations (RTS). After they are compacted and put in containers, they are delivered to disposal lands or recycling centers.
Waste Collection
There are hundreds of collectors in the territory where wastes are located before transferring to refuse transfer stations.
Waste Transport
There are seven refuse transfer stations in the territory. They serve as centralised collection points for the transfer of waste to the strategic landfills.
Landfills
Operated by the EPD, the landfill sites only accept garbage from Hong Kong. Thirteen of 16 landfills were closed from 1988 to 1996.
Strategic landfills
Hong Kong has three strategic landfills in use. All are located in the New Territories:
Closed landfills
There are also 13 closed landfills. The closed landfills are converted into facilities such as golf courses, multi-purpose grass pitches, rest gardens, and ecological parks. Greenhouse gases emitted from closed landfills are used for energy. The closed landfills are:
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth (HK) is one of the local environmental groups in Hong Kong. One of its campaigns emphasises on setting up an all-inclusive recycling system.
Green Power
Green Power, another local environmental organisation, has many activities related to waste control and management. Green Power organises an ongoing "Zero Waste Action", aiming to reduce the waste the territory produces.