The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) is very concerned about the situation of large amount of recyclables piling up outside the GREEN@HUNG HOM Recycling Store during the Christmas holiday. The EPD immediately instructed the operator to rectify the situation upon learning of the incident. The operator had then cleaned up all the recyclables outside the Recycling Store yesterday morning (December 26).

     A spokesperson for the EPD said, “The department has issued instructions to all operators of Recycling Store, requesting them to pay special attention to handle potential accumulation of recyclables during holidays. The EPD will issue a warning letter to the operator of GREEN@HUNG HOM, requiring it to prevent similar incidents from happening.”

     To avoid recurrence of similar incidents, the EPD will mandate all operators of GREEN@COMMUNTY to provide additional service during holidays in future for regular cleanup of recyclables accumulated in the recycling cage trolleys/bins outside the stores. They are also obliged to enhance the remote access function of the closed-circuit television system to strengthen the monitoring of the situation outside the stores with a view to making prompt arrangements for their staff to clear up the recyclables.

     To prepare for the implementation of municipal solid waste charging, the EPD has been expanding the community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNTY to strengthen support for recycling facilities at the district level. Except for Christmas and Lunar New Year holidays, all Recycling Stores (currently 33 Recycling Stores including two mini Recycling Stores in Kwai Fong Estate and Tai Wo Hau Estate) are open around the year. The operating hours are from 9am to 7pm. During non-operating hours, each Recycling Store is equipped with recycling cage trolleys/bins outside the stores to provide self-service recycling for users’ convenience.  

     The EPD reminds the public that despite the recyclables can be placed into the self-service recycling cage trolleys/bins outside the GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities beyond operating hours, people should avoid leaving the recyclables outside the stores or even on the pavement when the recycling cage trolleys/bins are full so as to support clean recycling and avoid causing nuisance to the nearby residents and the surrounding. 

     Information on the operating hours of the GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities can be found from the website www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en-hk/waste-reduction-programme/greencommunity , or the dedicated facebook page of individual facility.