Hong Kong considers investing in incineration, upcycling facilities in mainland China as it hunts for ways to handle waste
- Environment chief Tse Chin-wan says plan can see Hong Kong take advantage of mainland’s space and cheaper labour
- Controversial waste-charging scheme was shelved on Monday amid widespread public opposition
Hong Kong authorities are considering investing in incineration and upcycling facilities in mainland China to handle part of the city’s waste, the environment minister has said.
Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said on Wednesday the government was considering whether the city could take advantage of the mainland’s space and cheaper labour to help handle the waste, adding the city could provide technology and funding.
He also said the government and its counterparts on the mainland were exploring integrated waste handling within the Greater Bay Area and how to ultimately achieve the “Zero Waste Bay Area” goal.
“Hong Kong has technology, funding and investment, and the mainland has land and cheaper labour,” Tse told a radio show. “Their green products can also make use of Hong Kong as a window and be sold to other countries.
“If the entire Greater Bay Area collaborates, we can handle not just waste but also resource recycling. This will be a great benefit in developing the green industry.”
The Greater Bay Area is a national scheme that aims to integrate Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong province into an economic and development powerhouse.