1 September 2006 - Press Release
Democratic Party Seminar on Municipal Solid Waste Control Strategy and Technologies
Supported by BEC and organized by The Democratic Party, the captioned seminar on 1 September 2006 provided a platform to discuss and identify a long-term and sustainable solution for municipal solid waste (MSW) through thorough deliberation by the community, environmental groups and relevant professional bodies.
BEC's COO Mr. Kevin Edmunds, one of four invited commentators in the morning session, shared his thoughts on the Polluter Pays Principle and Producer Responsibility Schemes, as highlighted below:
When asked to comment on the Polluter Pays Principle, such as charging the public for waste disposal as is being introduced overseas, Mr. Edmunds commented that Hong Kong needs to address several fundamental issues. "At present people aren't used to paying directly for the amount of waste that they produce, usually they pay a flat fee as part of their property management costs. To gain the public's support it will be critical for the charging to be transparent and carefully set -- low charges may not change our behaviour, whilst high charges may result in illegal dumping".
Mr. Edmunds added that "It is also vital that people have easy access to recycling facilities so that they can in fact reduce their quantities of refuse. If families have to pay for waste disposal but aren't able to reduce their waste by recycling, they won't think that the system is fair". Mr. Edmunds drew attention to the Guidebook on Source Separation of Waste in Residential Buildings, recently produced by the Business Environment Council on behalf of Government's Environmental Protection Department, which is a useful reference for owners and property managers on the best types and locations for recycling bins in different types of building. (Click here to download the Guidebook)
On the Producer Responsibility Schemes, Mr. Edmunds commented that the businesses that BEC had been working with were generally supportive of the principle provided that the responsibility is properly shared across all those involved across a product's lifetime. "Of course, manufacturers and their suppliers are responsible for the materials that they use in their products and their packaging. However Government has the responsibility to ensure that the necessary collection systems are in place, for example with the retailers and distributors, whilst consumers must accept they will need to "take-back" certain products at the end of their lifetime of pay for their proper disposal".
Mr. Edmunds also commented on Mr. Raphael Hui's remark during his opening address in which he had said that business is responsible for providing green products. "Yes, businesses are responsible for providing greener products," said Mr. Edmunds, "but we must remember that the consumer is responsible for buying them. Whilst some green products can be of the same or lesser price of equivalent products, others may be more expensive. Government departments, businesses and the general public will all need to be willing to pay that little bit more for some green goods and services".
In closing, Mr. Edmunds expressed BEC's overall support for Government's policy framework, but cautioned that time was pressing. "The success stories that we have seen from Europe, North America and Asia this morning are all very impressive but have taken many years to evolve. The challenge for Hong Kong is to gain the acceptance of the community, implement the appropriate regulatory frameworks, and create a level playing field in which business can provide state-of-the-art waste management and recycling solutions".