Advertisement
Letters | Why Hong Kong’s landfill problem won’t be solved by waste-to-energy plants
- Readers discuss the government’s plan to build waste-to-energy facilities, and the importance of caring for Hong Kong’s country parks and hiking trails, which have served as places of respite during the pandemic
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification.
The Environment Bureau recently announced it is working on plans to develop more waste-to-energy facilities. However, Hong Kong’s first facility able to process general municipal solid waste is still under construction.
The bureau said the additional centres would support the city’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality before 2050, and would mean it can move away from reliance on landfills for municipal solid waste disposal by 2035.
Advertisement
Are these sound reasons?
Municipal solid waste accounted for 7 per cent of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, with the major source being organic waste decomposition in landfills.
Advertisement
The city generates two types of organic waste: food waste and yard waste. The existing yard waste recycling centre can handle 60 tonnes a day at most. But the city generated 222 tonnes of yard waste a day in 2020. That means over 160 tonnes of yard waste are still ending up in landfills every day.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x