Hong Kong’s recycling industry needs more transparency to change for good

Transparency, accountability, and the communication of it all goes a long way towards re-establishing trust in the recycling system

Only by keeping public and business stakeholders well-informed on what works and what does not can the government drive change in the recycling industry

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Overfilled recycling bins in Wan Chai on June 9, 2019. The government has good initiatives but more transparency on the goals and outcomes is critical in engaging the public and businesses. Photo: Edmond So

TC Li is the head of thought leadership at GREEN Hospitality, communications manager at Foundation for Shared Impact, and a climate reality leader.

Published: 4:30pm, 10 Jun 2021Updated: 4:45pm, 10 Jun 2021

Hong Kong’s recycling industry is not known for its efficiency. But when news broke last year that plastic collected for recycling was ending up in landfills instead, it was another much-needed reminder that the local recycling industry needs to be better supported.

An industry revamp is pertinent, especially if the government is to actualise its vision of “Waste Reduction, Resources Circulation, Zero Landfill”, outlined in the Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035.

From the dialogues that we at GREEN Hospitality have had with our hospitality and food and drink partners, we know that businesses and solution providers see the moral obligation and business case for a better recycling industry. The problem for some NGOs or social businesses is that they fail to expand the scale of their science-based, proven solutions due to insufficient funds.

But government funding exists in plenty. The Recycling Fund was launched in 2015 with a budget of HK$1 billion (US$129 million) and a mission to enhance operational efficiency and support the sustainable development of the recycling industry.