The local recycling industry plays an important role in waste reduction in Hong Kong. One of the major constraints it faces is the shortage of affordable land. The Government has established a policy to support the industry by identifying and leasing suitable short term tenancy sites exclusively for waste recycling use. By August 2018, 22 sites covering 4.5 hectares had been allocated to recyclers of a wide range of materials (e.g. paper, metals, plastics, textile, wood, glass and rubber tyres, etc.).