Advertisement
Advertisement

Dumped meals using up third of landfill space

Martin Wong

Hongkongers waste 3,200 tonnes of food a day, all of which is dumped in landfills.

Greeners Action, the environmental campaigners, say this could be turned into useful material like fertiliser.

According to figures from the Environmental Protection Department, food waste constitutes one-third of solid municipal rubbish.

Michelle Law Man-suet, campaign organiser of Greeners Action, said: 'It is a huge loss. It also shortens the life of the city's three landfills.

'If nothing is changed, the landfills will be full in five to nine years.' In addition, decomposing food in landfills produces toxic gases and liquids.

'We are very disappointed. First, there should not be so much waste. Second, we could put it to better use.'

Ms Law said food waste could become an effective fertiliser.

'However, we do not have any recycling industry working on that. Businesses and the government should do something about it if they want to make Hong Kong a better place.'

Post