Two recycling centers will go up in the EcoPark in Tuen Mun by the end of this year. The government wants to promote its green image and build the city's environmental industry.

The government-subsidized pilot recycling scheme will handle disposal of plastic and electronic wastes.

Non-profit organizations with experience in collecting and processing refuse will run the centers.

"The recycling industry is badly hit by the financial turmoil which enormously cuts down the material prices. The government hopes to assist this sector through the scheme," a government source said.

The scheme is also aimed at reducing the pressure on landfill and save the waste from being simply dumped.

Two sites, each of 5,000 square meters, will handle 7,300 tons of plastic wastes and 250 tons of electronic wastes annually.

"This accounts for only a minority of the total amount of plastic and electronic wastes in Hong Kong, so the centers will not weaken the competitiveness of other recycling operators," the source said.

He added about 70 semi-skilled workers will be hired, while the scheme will drive opportunities in related job fields, such as logistics.

The recycling centers can earn by selling the processed wastes depending on the market situation.

The annual operation cost for recycling plastic and electronic equipment is HK$14 million and HK$3.5 million respectively. The government will appropriate funding from the Environment and Conservation Fund during the first three years of operation.

Interested parties can hand in proposals for the scheme in the next one to two months.

The centers are expected to start running by the end of this year. The government will decide whether to continue the scheme after three years.

Meanwhile, the government will procure more environmental friendly products and phase out the use of tungsten light bulbs.

"The government will take the lead in making Hong Kong a green city," said Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.

More than 4,200 incandescent light bulbs are currently in use in government departments. The source said these energy-wasting bulbs will gradually be replaced by energy-saving ones.

The government will also look into the possibility of expanding the central procurement of green products through the Government Logistics Department. There are about 30 on the list at present, including environmental photocopying paper.

Michelle Au, officer of Environmental Affairs Manager of Friends of the Earth, said the government should formulate policy to match its goal of developing environmental industry.

She suggested the government set up a fund supported by manufacturers which produce vast amount of wastes and stipulate that they must recycle a certain proportion of their products every year.

(China Daily HK Edition June 23, 2009)