Alternatives Report

Waste Management in Sai Kung

Amy Wakeford

Cynthia

Siu Lok

Liru Wang

Huadong Song

Problems raised in the baseline studies

1. Management - waste management is controlled centrally and not locally.

2. Policy - lack of policies and market-based measures to enforce waste reduction (Eg. waste disposal charges and collection fees).

3. Public education - lack of education on the importance of waste reduction.

4. Community Initiatives - lack of community initiatives and involvement.

5. Upstream effects of waste - poor awareness and policies controlling the upstream production and effects of products (manufacturers, producers, retailers).

6. Facilities - Lack of reuse, recycling and recovery facilities in Sai Kung and Hong Kong.

7. Perception - waste is looked at as a useless by- product, rather than a resource.

Concerns of StakeholdersResidents:• They feel there are not enough recycling facilities in

SK and are located in inconvenient places.• Feel that they can’t do much because the

government hasn’t provided the facilities or they unaware of what already exists.

Restaurants:• They are concerned about the hygiene impact from

food waste.• They want the most cost-effective and efficient waste

management system.

Local pickers:• They are concerned about getting as much recyclable

waste as possible to make money.• Would like more support from the government in what they

are doing.

NGOs:• Their main concern is the government isn’t doing anything.• People should take their own initiative to reduce the

amount of waste they produce. For example, Composting

Government (District councilor):• He thinks that there are not enough waste collection and

recycling facilities in Sai Kung.• He would like to see the government do more about waste

reduction.

Gap analysis

University of British Columbia Southeast False Creek

Small town within a big city, surrounded by ocean and parks

Community composition – Hi-rise residences, houses, businesses, restaurants, offices, university buildings

Official community plan – incorporates sustainable development

Small community within a big city

Community composition – Mid-rise residences and a few businesses

Official community plan – based on sustainable development (acts as a model)

Benchmarking

Benchmarks UBCSoutheast False

CreekSai Kung

1. Plans and Policies Official Community Plan- incorporates sustainable waste management

Official Community Plan- incorporates sustainable waste management

Hong Kong’s municipal solid waste strategy

2. Mode of management

Locally controlled – community initiative

Locally controlled – community initiative

Centrally controlled

3. Waste management system

Well developed recycling and composting scheme

Well developed recycling and composting scheme

Poorly developed recycling scheme and no composting

4. Main types of waste produced

Paper, plastic and organics Paper, plastic and organics Paper, plastic and organics

5. Community involvement

High High Low

6. Public education and awareness

High High Low

7. Market-based measures

Incentives for waste reducers and charging for not recycling office paper

Free organic and recycling collection/ charge for collection of garbage

Small incentive for reuseable bags in chain stores

8. Integrated with other sectors of the community

Integrated with urban agriculture and horticulture

Integrated with urban agriculture

Isolated

Alternatives - Government

1. Policy Measures (HK government’s new policy framework) Waste charging, producer responsibility scheme, and landfill disposal bans

2. Public education EPD, NGO’s and local council should provide workshops, posters, pamphlets

and letters on the 4 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle and recover) and how the community can get involved.

3. Facilities The government should provide more waste recycling facilities in various

locations.

4. Markets The government should provide more incentives and subsidies to promote

local recycling and recovery industries.

5. Provide Funding – to promote community initiatives and waste reduction programmes.

Town centre

SchoolsVillages

Product- compost

(Fertilizer)

Composting garden with

public allotments

Composting and environmental

education garden

Community composting, public allotments& public education garden

MarketsBio-diesel

Community Plan – Community composting

and urban agriculture

Community

Community Initiative:

Action Plan:

• To promote decentralization of waste management by the local council and increase community involvement.

• To develop a community-based circular economy through urban agriculture and composting.

• To improve the social development of SK by employing local pickers and the unemployed as food waste collectors.

• To reduce the level of organic matter going to the landfill.

Town centre

Plan:

Create a community-based organic waste collection service and composting garden.

Provide public allotments for locals who want to grow organic vegetables and develop a weekly farmer’s market.

Develop an education centre related to composting and green technologies.

Aim:

•To manage the food waste from restaurants and residential units.

•To develop a local urban agriculture system.

•To educate the public on waste reduction and composting practices.

Type of facility:

In-vessel compostingfacility

Education Centre

Public allotments

Farmer’s Market

Bio-diesel

VillagesAim: • To manage the food waste from

residential units.

• To provide public allotments for locals to grow vegetables.

Plan:

To create an organic waste collection service and community composting gardens within the villages.

The compost bins will be managed by the locals in payment for an allotment.

Type of facility:

Small gardens centrally located within villages.

Use of drum composting bins.

Schools

Aim: • To educate our next generation

about waste reduction

Plan:

To create a small scale composting garden for educational purposes.

Initiate class composting

Type of facility:

Small scale composting garden (Rooftop composting garden if land is limited)

Different types of composting bins e.g. worm bin, drum barrel

Circular economy

Local residents sell organic produce and

compost at a Farmer’s Market held at the community garden.

Local residents buy local food and

dispose of food waste in the designated collection bins.

Waste is collected by local pickers or

unemployed with VVs powered by bio-diesel.

Waste is taken to a community

composting garden and composted.

Locals who want to a piece of land to

grow food can have it for free if they volunteer to

manage the composting bins.

Public education and community

involvement

Bio-diesel

Aim: To manage used animal fat and cooking

oil from restaurants and residential units.

To provide a “clean” source of fuel for the food waste collection trucks.

Plan:

Collect the used animal fat and cooking oil from restaurants to be used to make biofuel.

To create a small bio-diesel production site at the town centre composting garden.

To fill the collection trucks with bio-diesel.

• Clean burning alternative fuel produced from domestic renewable resources.• Contain no petroleum, can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel.• No major modification on the conventional engines is needed.• Compare with petroleum diesel, it can reduce 78% CO2, 47% particulate matter and 48% CO.

Markets for compostTown centre community garden:1.Public allotments2.AFCD – forest fertilization3.Gardening centers4.Local buyers

Villages:Public allotments

Schools:School garden

BenefitsEnvironmental:

• Divert waste from landfill

• Extending the life of the landfill

• Minimize the methane production at landfill

• Reduce pollution (transportation)

• Enhance local biodiversity

• Improve food security

Political:

• Devolution of power

to the local council.

Economic:

• Production of local produce

• Production of compost

• Generating job opportunities for the unemployed.

• Extending the life of the landfill

Social:

• Provide education to the younger generation

• Improve the local hygiene

• Increase awareness on waste reduction, composting and green technologies.

• Provide jobs for local pickers

• Foster a sense of community

• Promote a healthy and organic diet.

Indicators and targets for the composting and urban agriculture scheme

Indicator Target

Total amount of organic waste diverted from the landfill

All organic waste diverted from the landfill

Community participation rate 100% participation

Number of local pickers and unemployed working as collectors

Increasing

Amount of local produce sold at the farmer’s market

Increasing

~ The End ~