GREEN$ Electronic Participation Incentive Scheme to be fully digitalised (with photos)
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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) announced today (July 25) that, along with technological advancements, the GREEN$ Electronic Participation Incentive Scheme (GREEN$ ePIS) will be fully digitised on April 1, 2026. The digitalisation will enhance the connections of GREEN$ ePIS with more reward platforms and gift redemption locations in the market. Members of the public will no longer be required to visit GREEN@COMMUNITY to redeem a limited selection of around 10 types of gifts. Instead, they can redeem their favourite or required gifts at more than 500 supermarkets and retail stores, as well as free MTR tickets and local ecotours, through the GREEN$ mobile app.
The EPD spokesperson said, “Among the approximately 1.06 million current users of GREEN$ ePIS, about 920 000 users (i.e. 87 per cent), are already using the mobile app, allowing them to transition seamlessly to full digitisation. To encourage physical card users to switch to the GREEN$ mobile app promptly and enjoy the benefits of digitalisation, the EPD will launch a summer promotion to offer an extra 50 GREEN$ points to those who return their physical cards and switch to the use of the GREEN$ mobile app during the period from August 1 to September 30, 2025.”
All the facilities of GREEN@COMMUNITY will post notices to inform the public of the arrangements. The public will have time to adapt and transition to the new arrangements, with physical gifts remaining available for redemption at GREEN@COMMUNITY until the first quarter of 2026. Physical cards will cease operation on April 1, 2026. Staff of GREEN@COMMUNITY will assist the public in installing the GREEN$ mobile app, and demonstrate how to use the e-point redemption feature. For the few people without smartphones, their existing physical cards will not be cancelled. They can register their cards at designated facilities of GREEN@COMMUNITY and continue to use the GREEN$ points in the physical cards for redeeming gifts.
Time-saving and convenient with more choices
The five most popular gifts at GREEN@COMMUNITY in the past years have been daily necessities including rice, cooking oil, toilet paper, and soy milk (see Annex for details). These popular items can all be redeemed using GREEN$ points after being converted into MoneyBack points at over 500 supermarkets and retail stores across the city. The GREEN$ mobile app also allows users to redeem points from the MTR’s carbon emission reduction reward platform Carbon Wallet for free MTR tickets and local ecotours.
Members of the public can continue to donate GREEN$ points to charitable organisations after the full digitisation. The EPD will follow up with the concerned charitable organisations on the arrangements for redemption of e-rewards following the digitisation.
The e-reward redemption option has been well received by the public since its launch. Following the introduction of the MoneyBack redemption function in December 2024, the monthly GREEN$ points used to redeem MoneyBack points have grown over two times from 7 million points last December to 24 million points in May this year, with about 28 000 users enjoying the MoneyBack point conversion feature (see Annex for details).
As the e-reward redemption option is currently in its initial trial phase, a redemption limit (3,000 points per account each month) is set to allow more users to try out the new e-reward redemption option. The EPD is planning to introduce more e-reward platforms for point conversions within this year to provide the public with more choices, and the current monthly redemption limit will be lifted progressively.
The service contracts for Carbon Wallet and MoneyBack were awarded through open tender processes. Service providers participating in the bidding submitted quotations based on their respective costs and other commercial considerations. The service contracts encompass the provision of e-points for conversion and other related services (including promotions, technical support for reward platforms and customer service etc).
Smart city, smart recycling
With years of efforts by the EPD and support from the public, GREEN$ ePIS has gradually evolved from an incentive scheme into a platform that facilitates collaborative efforts from various sectors of society to promote green waste reduction and a recycling culture. It has successfully mobilised the public to participate in waste separation, recycling as well as fostering recycling habits, driving the quantity of recyclables collected by GREEN@COMMUNITY at the same time. In 2024, about 41 800 tonnes of recyclables (excluding food waste) were collected at GREEN@COMMUNITY, an increase by nearly 60 per cent compared to 2023, while in the first half of 2025, about 22 700 tonnes (excluding food waste) were collected, representing a further increase of about 20 per cent compared to the same period last year. (see Annex for details)
The spokesperson said, “Through relentless efforts, the current-term Government has successfully reversed the long-standing trend of increasing waste volume and declining recycling rates in Hong Kong. The GREEN$ mobile app was also awarded the Google Play Hong Kong ‘Best App for Good’ award in 2024. We look forward to collaborating with all individuals and organisations supporting waste reduction and recycling to further promote GREEN$ ePIS, working together to further enhance Hong Kong’s culture of green waste reduction and recycling.”