While Hong Kong has many outlets for recycling, some buildings still do not have recycling facilities and some recyclables still end up in landfills.

The Community Recycling Network offers a solution. It provides:

The three existing landfills are running out of space. In light of the enormous quantities of waste Hong Kong has to deal with every day, we must prevent and reduce the total amount of waste at source if we are to ease the pressure at landfills.

Everyone in the community must act now – and act together – to reduce and recycle waste. The Community Recycling Network is a new initiative to address this waste crisis.

In accordance with the "Policy Framework for the Management of Municipal Solid Waste (2005-2014)", the Government has been promoting waste reduction and recycling through the Source Separation of Waste Programme which has increased recycling facilities in housing estates, schools and offices.

The Government published the Blueprint in May 2013, which maps out the comprehensive strategy, specific targets, policies and action plans for waste management for the coming 10 years. We hope that the recycling rate in Hong Kong can be increased to 55% by 2022.

The Community Recycling Network is one of the initiatives in the recycling activities and aims to increase both recycling and public awareness about recycling.

The Community Recycling Network collects mainly waste plastic bottles, glass bottles and small waste electrical and electronic equipment. Please click here for examples of recyclables collected through the Network.

These wastes are targeted because they have low market value and some of them are not recycled in the community. The Network will aim to stimulate a market for them by providing a collection outlet. (In contrast, paper and metals are high-value recyclables and already have markets.)

The Community Recycling Network has two key aims: to form a wider waste recovery network to arouse public awareness about recycling, and to encourage public participation in waste recovery by providing collection points for low-valued recyclables.

While over 80% of Hong Kong’s population is covered by the Source Separation of Waste Programme, the Network can provide recycling outlets to those residents living in buildings not served with waste recycling facilities.

The Network helps everyone in Hong Kong to recycle waste plastic bottles, glass bottles and small waste electrical and electronic equipment. Participants can drop these low-valued recyclables off at local collection outlets.

Apart from collecting recyclables, the Network also supports face-to-face promotion of waste reduction and recycling. Our past experiences tell us that this is a crucial way of sustaining community participation in source separation of waste.

* Before bringing in plastic and glass bottles, please make the following preparations:

Collection outlets:

Recyclables collected by all outlets are stored at the nearest Community Recycling Centre before being transferred to recyclers for local or overseas recycling.