Will recycling only drink bottles and personal care products lead to more waste sent to Hong Kong landfills?
The government says it is more efficient to only recycle certain types of plastic and paper, given Beijing’s upcoming ban on imported waste.
An amended Hong Kong government policy on recycling that targets drink bottles and plastic containers used in personal care products has sparked concerns that other types of household plastics would be discarded and sent to local landfills, adding to the city’s waste.
Authorities across the border are set to stop importing four categories of solid waste from Hong Kong to be processed for recycling. These include plastics from daily usage and unsorted scrap paper.
In Hong Kong, under the new policy, the public is asked to change its recycling behaviour regarding waste paper and waste plastics. According to the department, only three types of paper – cardboard, newspaper and office paper – should be recycled, excluding glossy magazine covers that have been coated with a plastic layer.
For plastic waste, the public should only put two types of plastics in recycling bins – drink containers and personal care products – with these rinsed beforehand.