- The Consumer Council is pleased to provide views to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) on the proposed mandatory producer responsibility scheme (PRS) on glass beverage bottles.
- The Council supports the "polluter pays" principle. The Council welcomes the initiative to cover used glass bottles in a producer responsibility scheme to reduce their dumping at landfills, hence relieving the burden on landfills and lengthening their life-span.
- Used glass is currently recycled and turned into bottles in some jurisdictions but in Hong Kong, most of the glass bottles or jars are landfilled, and hence usable resources are wasted.
- The scheme is proposed to cover alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage bottles which accounted for about 154 tonnes per day (62.6%of waste glass bottles disposed of at landfills) in 2011, while glass bottles or jars from food and sauce which accounted for 82 tonnes per day (33.7%) in the same year would be excluded. The Council is of the view that a phased approach is inadvisable and that food and sauce bottles should also be included at this stage for the following reasons:
(i) Waste reduction is one of the key elements in sustainable consumption and sustainable consumption is important in preservation of the environment. Efforts should be directed to reuse and recycle resources whenever possible and the public should be encouraged and facilitated to do so. The volume of glass bottles for food and sauce accounts for 1/3 of waste glass bottles generated each year and their inclusion will achieve a higher recovery rate.
(ii) Voluntary programs for source separation of glass bottles have been established. The Council believes that the public in general is ready for glass recycling provided proper education on the methods for thorough cleansing of food or sauce glass bottles for recycling are offered. As a result, these bottles can be usefully added to the recycling list.
(iii) To limit the scope of mandatory PRS to glass beverage bottles only will create confusion to consumers about the kind of glass bottles which can be dropped into recycling bins specially designed for glass collection.
- Since most of the glass-contained products are imported into Hong Kong, it will be more convenient and practical to collect the recycling fee from the suppliers because food or beverage distributors or importers have to be registered under the Food Safety Ordinance.
- However, it is important for manufacturers, importers and suppliers of products with glass bottles or jars to be consulted to seek their comments and opinions with regard to the proposed scheme and levy. There may be consideration to switch to other packaging materials which do not attract a levy, or to enhance the deposit-and-return practice, both of which will impact on the proposed scheme.
- The amount of recycling fee would have to be reasonable but collectively should be able to cover the expenses for the collection and transportation to the recycling facilities. Levies may be charged for alcoholic, non-alcoholic or food bottles with variations, depending on the volumes of trade and related waste generated. There should be some mechanism to prevent the full transfer of the recycling fees from the manufacturers or suppliers to the consumers. Manufacturers or importers may be required to submit reports on the quantities of relevant products they have supplied for calculation of the applicable recycling fee.
- The number and convenient location of glass bottles collection points would help achieve a higher recovery of glass bottles. Once the bottles are collected, a holistic approach for the glass recycling should be taken. They should be tracked and monitored to ensure that they are processed and turned into other useful materials. Efforts should also be made to boost demand for these materials to be marketed and used locally.
- Government departments can take leading roles in using products contained recycled glass. Green procurement advice can be provided to companies or organizations, or to the extent of consumers, on purchasing products containing recycled glass to encourage and sustain demand for such products.
- Since glass bottles can be broken easily, prevention of injuries to the public should be emphasized. Public education should be directed to the safe handling of glass bottles to minimize risks e.g. glass bottles should be dropped into collection bins specially designed for glass collection. Efforts should also be made to educate the public about the importance of good practices of source separation such as rinsing of beverage bottles, thorough cleansing of food bottles and the removal of metal or plastic caps before dropping glass bottles into collection bins, to facilitate better recycling results.
- The Council believes that the reduction of municipal waste requires all stakeholders, from government, manufacturers, suppliers to consumers, to have a proper understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities. Continued efforts should be made to encourage the community to practise waste reduction in everyday life.
- Consultation Papers
- 2013.05.14
