More recycling facilities to be launched as waste disposal declines and recycling rates increase

Hong Kong is seeing a decline in municipal solid waste disposal and an increase in recycling rates, marking a significant milestone for environmental efforts, said Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan. 

Tse announced plans to increase public recycling points to 800 by the first quarter of 2025, while food waste collection facilities will increase to 1,600. 

Food waste smart recycling bins will also be set up in public housing, aiming for "one bin per building" by 2026. 

Five additional recycling stores will be opened by the end of the year with gradually extended service hours, expecting improved waste disposal and recycling outcomes, Tse added.

There will also be enhancements to the GREEN$ Electronic Participation Incentive Scheme, with new reward options launching in December to encourage greater public participation in waste sorting and recycling.

Municipal solid waste has decreased from an average of 1.53 kilograms per person per day in 2018 to 1.44 kilograms last year—a 4.7 percent drop, Tse revealed on his blog. 

Waste plastics saw the largest reduction, exceeding 10 percent, while plastic bag disposal fell by over 30 percent. Overall food waste dropped by 3.4 percent, with household food waste decreasing by more than 12 percent.

The GREEN@COMMUNITY initiative recycled over 30,000 tons of waste in the first three quarters of this year, surpassing the total for the previous year.