EPD Schools Recycle WEEE programme collects over 75 tonnes of e-waste

BEIJING (Scrap Monster): The Schools Recycle WEEE programme, organized by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has recorded another year of success. Nearly 75 tonnes of used computer equipment, electrical appliances and other electronic products were collected from nearly 175 primary and secondary schools.

According to EPD officials, it had assisted participating schools in launching in-house promotional activities at the end of the summer vacation. EPD had provided educational and technical support to the campaign. It had also provided collection and transportation services, by arranging collection trucks during October and November in order to gather the collected e-waste. In addition, the Community Green Stations in Sha Tin and Eastern District had assisted the campaign by providing logistics support for the programme.

The Schools Recycle WEEE programme is considered as the first step towards implementing mandatory producer responsibility scheme (PRS).

The WEEE collected under the Schools Recycle WEEE programme will be sorted initially. All functional items will then be delivered to the "WEEE Go Green" project operated by St James Settlement for donation to the needy after checking and repairing. The remaining WEEE will be properly stored by the contractor until the commissioning of the WEEE treatment and recycling facility (WEEETRF) at the EcoPark in Tuen Mun for proper treatment and dismantling. The waste rechargeable batteries collected through the programme will be treated properly under the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Programme managed by the Hong Kong WEEE Recycling Association.

Meantime, the draft proposal to implement mandatory PRS on WEEE is currently under the scrutiny of Legislative Council. Upon implementation, the collected e-waste materials will be turned into reusable items at the to-be-commissioned WEEETRF at the EcoPark in Tuen Mun.