The “Green @ Community,” with more than 800 public recycling points citywide, has seen a sharp rise in public use, with about 12.7 million visits recorded last year, an increase of about 80 percent compared to 2023.
Yau Wing-kwong, chief executive of the Environmental Association, said the sustained growth in public usage reflects strong public support for recycling, both in attitude and in practice. “They are willing to spend time cleaning and sorting recyclables at home – even removing adhesive tape from paper before bringing it in.”
He also highlighted the educational role of the recycling points, noting that student groups frequently visit to learn about recycling. “We even have summer interns who stay for two or three weeks to see how frontline recycling operations work.”
At the “Green @ Tai Po Market” on Sunday, many residents were seen delivering recyclable materials. One resident, Fok, believes the government’s rollout of neighborhood recycling points makes recycling easier.
Cheng, another resident, said that even though the municipal waste charging scheme has been suspended, her personal commitment to recycling remains unchanged.
Grace Kwok May-han, chairwoman of the Environmental Campaign Committee, said education and accessible recycling facilities are essential to reducing waste. “Compared with certain mandatory charging measures, encouragement and education are more effective for long-term behavioral change.”
She noted that their committee has been working closely with the Environmental Protection Department for years on multiple waste reduction and recycling projects.
“We are gradually building a recycling culture and habits among citizens – exactly the tools we need to achieve lasting waste reduction,” she said.
