Cut waste or shelve incinerator plan, say campaigners
The idea of building a waste incinerator should be shelved if the government does not cut waste generation to the level it pledged three years ago, a coalition of green groups and local politicians says.
In a statement to be published in a Chinese-language newspaper today, the coalition demands the government adhere to the framework of the waste reduction policy released in 2005.
If the government did not do so, the coalition would not support the burning of waste.
The coalition comprises six green groups, three legislators from separate political parties, 10 district councillors from Sai Kung and Tuen Mun and district-based activists.
They criticised environment officials for being half-hearted about reducing waste through product-responsibility schemes, such as charging people for plastic bags and waste disposal, while pushing relentlessly for large-scale incineration.
'We will allow the Secretary for the Environment Yau Tang-wah one year to deliver on the pledges in the waste reduction framework. Otherwise, we will not accept any waste incineration plan,' the coalition said.
They want Mr Yau to meet the framework's target of reducing the volume of municipal solid waste by 1 per cent a year until 2014. The framework takes as its starting point the volume of waste generated in 2003. To meet the target, Mr Yau must ensure no more than 5.55 million tonnes of waste is produced this year.
In 2006, the last year for which figures are available, the government overshot its target by 3.6 per cent, with 6.22 million tonnes of waste generated.
Hahn Chu Hon-keung, environmental affairs manager of Friends of the Earth, which led the campaign, said the target, though difficult to achieve, was not unreasonable.
'What we are asking is what they have pledged in the framework. If they fail to deliver, it means they [were not sincere in their statements] or simply lied to us,' Mr Chu said.
Taiwan had shown that, with proper measures and the political will, waste generation could be reduced by 28 per cent within five years, he said.
Angus Ho Hon-wai, of Greeners Action, said waste disposal charges should be introduced for households before incineration was approved.
Without responding to the demand, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said it would step up efforts and spending to publicise and implement various measures to reduce waste.
