WEEE·PARK opens to treat and recycle waste electrical and electronic equipment
19.3.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (March 19) officiated at the opening ceremony of the Government's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Treatment and Recycling Facility, WEEE·PARK. In her remarks, she noted the rapid advancement in Hong Kong's waste-related infrastructure in recent years and said the commissioning of WEEE·PARK marked a key milestone in the development of waste-to-resources facilities in Hong Kong, showing the Government's determination for achieving resources recovery. Located at the EcoPark in Tuen Mun, WEEE·PARK has adopted advanced technologies and equipment for treating waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and turning the waste into reusable materials such as plastics and metals through a series of detoxification, dismantling and recycling processes. WEEE·PARK has a wide range of green building features, and is to be accredited in accordance with the BEAM Plus standard. Hong Kong has made several landmark achievements in the development of waste management infrastructure in recent years, with a number of major waste-to-energy facilities being constructed and completed. These include the first sludge treatment facility, T∙PARK, located at Tsang Tsui in Tuen Mun and commissioned in 2016; the first organic resources recovery centre, O∙PARK, located at Siu Ho Wan in Lantau Island and to be commissioned later this year; the first food waste pre-treatment facilities at Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works, scheduled to be commissioned next year; and the first Integrated Waste Management Facilities located at Shek Kwu Chau, for which the "design, build and operate" contract has just commenced. Officially opened today, WEEE·PARK is an important piece of large-scale waste-to-resources infrastructure. These developments clearly underline the Government's commitment to enhancing waste management, keeping Hong Kong as a liveable city and promoting the sustainable development of the city. Also officiating at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing said, "WEEE∙PARK provides the required capacity for the proper recycling and treatment for WEEE generated locally in Hong Kong, and underpins the producer responsibility scheme on WEEE (WPRS) that will be fully implemented later this year." From August 1, all sellers who sell air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, computers, printers, scanners and monitors, collectively referred to as regulated electrical equipment (REE), should arrange for consumers a free removal service to collect the same type of equipment abandoned by a consumer by a specified collector for proper treatment by a licensed recycler. Through the removal service, the consumer can request the seller to remove the old piece of equipment for free on a "one-piece-to-one-piece" basis. The control over disposal, import and export of abandoned REE will commence on December 31 this year. Members of the public can also call the recycling hotline 2676 8888 to request collection service for abandoned REE by the WEEE∙PARK operator. The Government, through open tender, commissioned ALBA Integrated Waste Solutions (Hong Kong) Limited to design, build and operate WEEE·PARK to provide the required capacity for the proper recycling and treatment of locally generated WEEE to meet the increasing demand upon the implementation of the WPRS. Besides turning WEEE into valuable reusable materials through a series of advanced and safe processes of detoxification, dismantling and recycling, WEEE·PARK also refurbishes some serviceable electrical appliances for further donation to people in need for reuse. In addition, there is an exhibition corridor at WEEE·PARK. Guided tours will be arranged for members of the public to get a better understanding of the treatment process for WEEE and the importance of turning waste into resources. Starting April 3, interested groups may call 2290 9500 for reservation of guided tours and enquiries. Other officiating guests at today's ceremony were the Permanent Secretary for the Environment/Director of Environmental Protection, Mr Donald Tong; the Chairman of the Public Works Subcommittee of the Legislative Council, Dr Lo Wai-kwok; the Deputy Chairman of the Panel on Environmental Affairs of the Legislative Council, Dr Junius Ho; the German Consul General to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Macau SAR, Mr Dieter Lamlé; the Chief Executive Officer of ALBA Group plc & Co KG, Dr Axel Schweitzer; the Chairman of Integrated Waste Solutions Group Holdings Limited, Mr Brian Cheng; and the Permanent Distinguished Chairman and Principal Vice President of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Electrical Appliances Merchants Association, Dr Peter Chu. Ends/Monday, March 19, 2018 Issued at HKT 16:06 NNNN