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Making Waste Separation More Convenient
The Programme on Source Separation of Domestic Waste (the Programme) is a voluntary programme. Its main objective is to facilitate residents to separate waste at source by encouraging and assisting property management companies to provide waste separation facilities within their estate / building premises for increasing the quantity of recyclables collected and reducing the amount of waste disposed. Residents only need to do is to separate recyclables in their waste by category, such as waste paper, metals and plastics, and then take them to the designated recycling points in their estates. This is very convenient.
 
'Tailor-made' for Each Estate
Each participating housing estate is encouraged to adopt a waste separation and recovery system that best suits its particular physical and other characteristics and that is convenient for residents to use. For instance, waste separation facilities, in compliance with relevant building and fire safety requirements, can be set up at such locations as refuse rooms or staircase landings on each floor. In a refuse room, property managers may install a wall-mounted shelf for collecting waste paper and separate bins for metals and plastics, or they may provide a bin with compartments for different types of recyclables.
 
The recyclable items are separated within each estate and sold directly to recyclers The recyclable items are separated within each estate and sold directly to recyclers. Management companies or cleansing contractors can pass on the benefits of the extra income to residents.
 
In Lei King Wan, residents stack waste paper on a wall-mounted shelf in the refuse room and deposit metals and plastics in designated collection containers.
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Technical Support
Arrangements can be made for staff of the Environmental Protection Department to visit individual housing estates / residential buildings and attend residents’ meetings to introduce the Programme and provide the necessary technical support (e.g. appropriate locations for setting up waste separation facilities, procurement of waste separation bins, outlets for recovered recyclables, and etc).

 
Education and Promotion Support
A variety of promotional activities are helping to educate people about waste separation and raise awareness on how they can participate. Announcements of Public Interest are broadcast on TV and electronic media, and leaflets and posters are distributed to participating housing estates. Talks, exhibitions and road shows on source separation are arranged from time to time in various locations. These can also be arranged for individual housing estates or residential buildings.

Periodic Collection of Specific Types of Reusable/Recyclable Materials
In addition to setting up waste separation facilities, housing estates are also encouraged to organise periodic large-scale collection programmes for specific types of reusable / recyclable materials, such as clothing, waste electrical and electronic equipment and computers, for donation to charitable organisations or resale to recyclers.
 
Commendation Scheme on Source Separation of Domestic Waste
In order to encourage the housing estates / residential buildings participating in the Programme to further increase the quantity of recyclables recovered, reduce the amount of waste requiring disposal and increase residents’ awareness and participation, we organise a Commendation Scheme on Source Separation of Domestic Waste on a yearly basis to commend those housing estates / residential buildings with outstanding performance.  We also issue a Letter of Appreciation to each of the participating housing estates / residential buildings to thank for their support to the Programme. You may click here for details of the Commendation Scheme on Source Separation of Domestic Waste.
 

Promotion Programme on Source Separation of Waste
In addition to setting up waste separation facilities on each floor, placing waste separation facilities on the ground floor of each building block or commonly accessible areas is an important measure to implement waste recycling in domestic premises. In this regard, the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) has launched a Promotion Programme on Source Separation of Waste under which ECC would distribute free waste separation bins to housing estates that are willing to join or have joined the Programme on Source Separation of Domestic Waste. The free bins are of two types that are suitable for indoor and outdoor environments respectively.

If the plastic waste separation bins and metal waste separation bins placed in the housing estates have been used for three years and five years respectively, and have been damaged or deteriorated, the property management companies, owners’ incorporations, mutual aid committees or residents’ committees can apply to ECC for bin replacement. For other replacement reasons, ECC Secretariat will consider the application on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in the ECC’s Promotion Programme, please click here for more details.