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Hong Kong’s recycling industry needs more transparency to change for good
- Transparency, accountability, and the communication of it all goes a long way towards re-establishing trust in the recycling system
- Only by keeping public and business stakeholders well-informed on what works and what does not can the government drive change in the recycling industry
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Why you can trust SCMP
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Hong Kong’s recycling industry is not known for its efficiency. But when news broke last year that plastic collected for recycling was ending up in landfills instead, it was another much-needed reminder that the local recycling industry needs to be better supported.
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An industry revamp is pertinent, especially if the government is to actualise its vision of “Waste Reduction, Resources Circulation, Zero Landfill”, outlined in the Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035.
From the dialogues that we at GREEN Hospitality have had with our hospitality and food and drink partners, we know that businesses and solution providers see the moral obligation and business case for a better recycling industry. The problem for some NGOs or social businesses is that they fail to expand the scale of their science-based, proven solutions due to insufficient funds.
But government funding exists in plenty. The Recycling Fund was launched in 2015 with a budget of HK$1 billion (US$129 million) and a mission to enhance operational efficiency and support the sustainable development of the recycling industry.
By the time this year’s waste blueprint went to print, about HK$600 million has been approved to support recycling projects and equipment procurement, benefiting 1,000 recycling enterprises, not to mention the additional subsidies for one-off Covid-19 relief.
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Food waste ‘upcycled’ as rescued dogs’ pet food
Food waste ‘upcycled’ as rescued dogs’ pet food
So what is the problem here? While lists of funded projects are accessible on the Recycling Fund’s website, there is a lack of information regarding the fund recipients, for example, the company type, legal entity or business registration number.
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