Make it easier for people to separate their waste at source

Greeners Action has called for more recycling bins to be located in public places.

A survey the group conducted found there was much public support for this view. It is clear Hongkongers do not feel there are enough of these bins, nor are there enough multi-purpose bins which would enable people to separate paper, plastic and metal. For the sake of the environment I agree that we need more of these bins throughout the city. Recycling is one way of helping societies tackle global warming. And we have to accept that this problem is getting more serious as there are more natural disasters in the world.

We are increasing our carbon footprint and making global warming worse. This is why we must step up our recycling programme in Hong Kong.

More recycling will reduce the pressure on our landfills, which in turn will lead to less environmental degradation.

The Tseung Kwan O landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2013 or 2014. Because of this the government has decided to expand it to cope with the volume of domestic waste. Landfills can cause soil and water pollution. They also create a nasty smell for nearby residents.

Therefore, it is essential that we reduce levels of waste in the city. This can be done through more effective recycling.