Waste Recycling

Separation equipment for mixed waste

Value Recovered
Construction and demolition debris
recycled materials for construction industry

Value Recovered
Construction and demolition debris
recycled materials for construction industry
(EcoPark_eco-block) (EcoPark_asphalt rubber pavement)

Video (2 min)

Value Recovered
Materials recovery facilities (MRFs)
primary function: separate recyclables secondary function: compact recyclables

Value Recovered
Video (2 min) (recycling paper & cartons)

Paper and cardboard

1.03 million tonnes recovered in HK as at 2009 longer fibre and fewer impurities higher value recycled paper (shorter fibre) lower value glossy magazines (glossing minerals) lower value

Value Recovered
Video (1 min) (recycling centre)

Materials recovery facilities (MRFs)

primary function: separate recyclables secondary function: compact recyclables

Value Recovered
Plastics
1.21 million tonnes recovered in HK as at 2009

Video (2 min) (recycling plastic bottles) (plastic recycling in HK)

Value Recovered
Plastics
plastic recycling centre in EcoPark opened in Mar 2010 domestic waste separation campaign rolled out in Jan 2005 brown bins include
plastic bottles (e.g., beverage bottles, shampoo bottles) plastic bags, plastic containers (e.g., buckets), plastic toys, plastic flower-pots, CDs expanded polystyrene packaging materials, etc

Value Recovered
Video (5 min) (recycling in HK Sep2009)

Plastics
contaminated nature increases cleaning cost bulky nature increases cost of collection and storage many types of plastics not compatible for recovery sorting cost price of virgin plastic fluctuates with economic situations most commonly recovered are PET (type 1) and HDPE (type 2) PVC (type 3) critical contaminant of PET source of chlorine emissions if burned must be separated from other materials carefully mechanical sorters are available

Value Recovered
Plastics
Expanded polystrene (type 6) paper cup is more environmentally friendly than a plastic foam cup? making of a plastic foam cup uses 12 times less steam and 36 times less electricity than one made of paper but plastic foam is not easily degradable and remains in landfill for many years reduce single-use disposable products reuse as multi-trip packaging recycle to make new materials coat hangers, CD and video cases, etc recover its high calorific value (> coal) in incinerators with proper emission control

Value Recovered
Materials recovery facilities (MRFs)
primary function: separate recyclables secondary function: compact recyclables

Value Recovered
Metals
high value of recovered aluminium
high energy requirement for aluminium ore processing eddy-current separator

Video (2 min) (recycling cans & electrical items)

developed market for recovered ferrous metals

magnetic separators

ferrous metals in HK (exported for recycling)

pig or cast iron, alloy steel scrap, tinplate, other scrap

non-ferrous metals in HK (exported for recycling)

aluminium, copper & alloys, zinc, lead, nickel, tin, precious metal, metal ash & residues

Value Recovered
Metals
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) e-waste

Value Recovered
Metals
Mobile WEEE Collection Centre Service voluntary producer responsibility scheme
organized and funded by suppliers

Value Recovered
Metals
Mandatory Producer Responsibility Scheme for WEEE
WEEE flow (proposed in 2010)

Value Recovered
Metals
health concerns of WEEE

Video (10 min) (recycling site pollution Aug2010)

Value Recovered
Materials recovery facilities (MRFs)
primary function: separate recyclables secondary function: compact recyclables

Value Recovered
Glass

Video (1 min) (recycling glass bottles)

avoid breakage of glass before colour separation vibrating screens to remove trash from crushed glass

(U.S. EPA, 2000)

Value Recovered
Glass
very little economic advantage in using recycling glass hardly cover collection and transport cost new markets under development
paving blocks glass sand replaces natural river sand for production of paving blocks used in various projects of Housing Department (HD), Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and local tertiary institutes Video (4 min) (PolyU_Eco-Block) (glass recycling)

Waste Recycling
Sustainability

Video (9 min) (recycling in HK Jan2011)

resource used vs resource saved energy-intensive (major hurdle), materials, waste, land use, etc environmental impacts soil, water, air pollution; wastewater production, etc local, global; landscape, ecosystem, etc

Waste Recycling
Sustainability