A local shopping mall has launched a campaign to collect fluorescent lamps for recycling.
The programme is run in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Department (EPD).
Amid rising calls for energy efficiency, more and more households have replaced traditional filament lamps with environmentally-friendly ones. Compared to traditional light bulbs, compact fluorescent lamps can save up to 75 per cent on electricity.
Despite the savings, indiscriminate disposal of fluorescent lamps - which contain mercury and other kinds of heavy metals - can pollute the environment. According to EPD estimates, about three million fluorescent lamps are discarded by local households every year.
To encourage recycling and proper disposal of the lamps, the department launched a territory-wide Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Programme this month and East Point City is the first organisation in Hong Kong to set up collection points for the campaign.
A collection point has been set up at the customer service centre on the first floor of the mall in Tseung Kwan O.