Options for Sustainable Waste Management for Hong Kong C. S. POON

WASTE MANAGEMENT HIERARCHY 1. Avoid waste generation 2. Minimize waste generation 3. Reuse/Recycle the material 4. Waste treatment 5. Landfill disposal AVOID MINIMIZE REUSE/RECYCLE TREATMENT/ DISPOSAL

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Generation in Hong Kong 香港的都市固體廢物生產量 40 % 60% Recovered 2.3 million tonnes 回收再造二百三十萬公噸 Disposed of at landfills 3.4 million tonnes 棄置於堆填區三百四十萬公噸 Hong Kong generated 5.7 million tonnes MSW in 2004 香港於 2004 年共產生五百七十萬公噸都市固體廢物

都市固體廢物 – 其他國家的回收及堆肥 Municipal Solid Waste – Recycling & Composting in Other Countries

HK Waste Recycling Rates (%) (2004) (2007) (2009) (2014) MSW Domestic 1420 ? ? Domestic waste landfilled (7,014 t/d, 2004)

MEASURES TO AVOID/REDUCE/RECYCLE WASTE Education Waste charges Product Responsibility Scheme (PRS) Territory-wide source separation of waste Appropriate use of RCP and RTS

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Generation in Hong Kong 香港的都市固體廢物生產量 40 % 60% Recovered 2.3 million tonnes 回收再造二百三十萬公噸 Disposed of at landfills 3.4 million tonnes 棄置於堆填區三百四十萬公噸 Hong Kong generated 5.7 million tonnes MSW in 2004 香港於 2004 年共產生五百七十萬公噸都市固體廢物

Management Options of Residual Waste after On-site Separation/Recycling 1)Direct Landfilling 2)Material Recovery Facilities of Recyclables (Dirty MRF) 2) Mechanical and biological treatment before landfilling 4) Thermal treatment before landfilling 5) Thermal treatment and reuse of ash

CURRENT SITUATION IN HK Total reliance on landfilling for non-recycled waste

Special Waste Facilities

Ta Kwu Ling 打鼓嶺 Nim Wan 稔灣 Tseung Kwan O 將軍澳 3 Strategic Landfills Source : EPD

海外國家的都市固體廢物管理 Municipal Solid Waste Management in Other Countries

Problems of Traditional Thermal Treatment Technologies Flue gas emission Ash residues are toxic (heavy metals and dioxin) Residues still account for 10-15% of waste input volume Construction cost and processing cost are higher than landfill

Advances in Thermal Waste Treatment Technologies Conventional Incineration Dioxin problem Exhaust gas and ash New Technologies Clean flue gas Decompose dioxin Containment of heavy metals in vitrified slag

Reality for Hong Kong Hong Kong cannot afford to build new landfills to manage our solid waste

Examples in Tokyo and Singapore show a small landfill can meet the disposal requirements of thermally treated residuals of MSW

Major Issues 1.What is the maximum waste recycling rate ? 2.What is the minimum waste quantity requiring disposal ? 3.Zero waste or zero landfill ? 4.Landfill or thermal treatment for non recyclables ?

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HK 1.Improve infrastructure to facilitate source separation and recycling of domestic waste 2.Implement product responsibility schemes to reduce waste ASAP 3.Appropriate economic instruments and charges to encourage waste reduction/recycling ASAP 3. Develop a more stable and healthy local waste recycling industry (Eco-park and long term policy) 4. Adopt appropriate waste treatment methods (vol. reduction) –Decision is needed ASAP

Thank you Prof. CS Poon, PhD, FHKIE