Hong Kong will pulp all recovered waste paper locally at the EcoPark facility in Tuen Mun rather than relying on exports starting October 1, according to the Environmental Protection Department.

Speaking on an RTHK radio programme on Monday, Steve Wong, assistant director of waste management, said the facility, which began operating at the end of July, is central to the city’s circular economy.

"In the past, all the waste paper we collected in Hong Kong could only be shipped overseas for processing. Simply put, it was a transport and logistics matter," he said.

"But now, we have this modernised paper pulping facility, with an annual capacity to process 720,000 tonnes of waste paper."

Wong described the facility as an added-value green industry that turns waste paper into raw material for new paper products such as books and packaging boxes.

According to the department, the move will expand accepted waste paper types beyond the traditional “three types of paper” — cardboard, newspapers and office paper — to include mixed paper such as paper bags, packaging boxes and wrapping paper.

"Previously, lower-fibre items such as mixed paper, paper bags and packaging boxes could not be recycled, but now they can," he said, adding that long and short fibres, including those from magazines, can be mixed into uniform pulp.

For residents, Wong said collection remains unchanged.

"The most important thing is to maintain clean recycling: don’t get it wet, and remove impurities."

Under the "Waste Paper Pulping and Export Services" contract, the facility operator must buy waste paper from collectors and recyclers at no less than the minimum price set in its contract, known as the "Designated Purchasing Price" (DPP).

Under this mechanism, the DPP has been raised from HK$1,200 per tonne in July to current level of HK$1,295.51 per tonne.

The contract also sets a minimum price — currently HK$0.65 per kilo — that waste paper collectors and recyclers must pay frontline collectors for waste paper that meets quality standards, with the department adjusting it to keep the local recycling market stable and the whole chain sustainable.

Speaking on the same programme, Ng Sui-lun, chairman of the New Territories Cargo Transport Association, said the shift from export to local processing is largely the same, explaining that his sector sorts and processes collected waste paper before sending it out.

"In the past, for export we had to load containers and ship by sea. Now we send it directly to EcoPark," he said.

However, Ng said the paper pulping facility does have an impact on baling plants.

"Some customers have their own vehicles or hire vehicles, and if they have some volume, they can send it directly into the paper pulping facility. Our business will be a bit lower," he said, adding that business has dropped by roughly 10 to 20 percent.

On price, Ng said the HK$1,295 per tonne is a minimum and may rise with market conditions.

He hoped the department and the paper pulping facility would create a coordination mechanism to adjust it in real time.



Edited by Tony Sabine