May-Jul 2021 “Hong Kong Industrialist”

Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong Enhancing Participation of Environmental Industry 資源循環藍圖 完善環保產業鏈助業界參與 E arlier this year, the Government has officially announced the Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035 (“the Blueprint”) . Setting out the vision of “Waste Reduction”, “Resources Circulation” and “Zero Landfill”, the Blueprint outlines the strategies to tackle the challenge of waste management in future, and thereby building a circular economy. As the awareness of environmental protection among the public has increased, many people turn the aspiration of low-carbon living into action. With this regard, there is a pressing need for the Government to give a further boost to the green industries. Since many economies are imposing restrictions on imported solid waste, the quantity of solid waste disposal has been rising to an alarming level. Hong Kong must scale up the “waste-to-resource” and “waste-to-energy” capabilities, and it is exigent for the Government to level up the local waste management capacity to achieve the long-term goal of “zero landfill”. The Blueprint has laid out various measures supporting the local recycling industry, including enhancements to Recycling Fund, expansion of EcoPark, establishment of Green Tech Fund etc. Backed by a spectrum of favourable policies and resources, we envision enterprising industry peers investing into the development of waste recycling and carbon-reducing technologies. Leveraging all the concerted efforts being put in place, not only will Hong Kong be able to address the deep-rooted problem of waste management, the environmental protection industry will also be propelled into a robust engine powering the growth of Hong Kong re-industrialisation. 政 府於年初公布《香港資源循環藍圖2035》（藍圖），以「全民減廢」、「資源循環」、「零廢堆填」為願景，提出 應對未來廢物管理的策略，構建循環經濟。隨著市民的環保意識日益提高，實踐低碳生活、發展綠色產業已 是刻不容緩。面對全球各地拒收「洋垃圾」、廢物棄置量持續攀升，香港必須擴充回收處理容量，提升本地轉廢為 材或轉廢為能的能力，方有望達到零廢堆填的長遠目標。 《藍圖》中提及不少支援回收業界的措施，例如加強回收基金運作、擴建環保園、低碳綠色科研基金等，環保 業界宜早把握政策資源，投資發展廢料回收及引入減碳減廢的創新科技，不但助香港解決垃圾處理問題，更有望 能扶植高增值環保工業，成為香港「再工業化」的支柱之一。 周治平 Jude Chow 5-7/2021 | 13