VISIT OF ECO-PARK IN TUEN MUN, HONG KONG
VISIT OF ECO-PARK IN TUEN MUN, HONG KONG
26
Feb
26/02/2018
ISE’s students visited Eco-park in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, on 26th February 2018.
A group of 6 Master and PhD students of the Institute of Science and Environment (ISE) of USJ, together with 6 CSR staff of Macau, visited the Eco-Park in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong on Monday 26th February 2018. The visit was organised by Prof. Franz Gassner and PhD Student Mr. Warren Man Ho Li. The first stop was Hong Kong’s first WEEE (Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment) e-scrap recycling facility, financed by the Hong Kong government (US$ 74 million) and developed and managed by Germany’s ALBA Group, which will run the plant together with the collection system for 10 years. Located at Tuen Mun EcoPark, north of Hong Kong’s International Airport, the new WEEE facility can handle up to 30 000 tonnes of “Flatties”, “Tubies”, “Washies” and “Fridgies”. With its annual electronic scrap volumes of more than 70 000 tonnes equating to almost 22 kg per capita, Hong Kong is Asia’s biggest e-scrap generator, encompassing computers, fridges, TV sets, mountains of rice cookers and discarded air-conditioners (Hong Kong installs annually 400.000 new air-conditioners). 80% of Hong Kong’s electronic scrap is, at the moment, exported to developing countries while 20% is dumped in local landfills. The official opening of the e-scrap facility in Tun Mun will take place on St. Josephs Day, 19th March 2018 in the presence of CEO Ms. Carrie Lam.
The second stop of the student tour was the new Eco-Park Visitor Centre, a large-scale education resource centre on resource awareness, recycling, and municipal waste. The Centre informs schools and public about waste reduction (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle) through 8 educational zones, including Waste Corridor, Movie Area, 3-D Landfill Model, 3Rs Zone, Reflection Pond, Group Game Zone, and Plastic Recycling Education Centre. The centre promotes environmental protection and visitors’ understanding of municipal solid waste management, resource responsibility, and more sustainable life-styles. (Franz Gassner)
