Visit to Tuen Mun Ecopark with MES and PhD-Science Students
Visit to Tuen Mun Ecopark with MES and PhD-Science Students
10
Dec
10/12/2018
Master and PhD Students from ISE visited Hong Kong Tuen-Mun Eco park on 10th December
A group of students of Master of Environmental Science and Management (MES), one PhD in Science and Alumni family members visited on December 10th2018 the Eco-Park in Tuen Mun in Hong Kong under the supervisions of Prof. Franz Gassner. The first stop was the new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Treatment and Recycling Facility of the Hong Kong Government, called WEEE-Park. WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and it is the fastest growing waste steam globally. The HK Government commissioned a German company (ALBA Integrated Waste Solutions) to design, build and operate this facility to treat 30-50 tons of WEEE per day out of the 190 tons accumulated every day (70.000 tons per year). The facility adopts advanced technologies and equipment for treating waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and recovering precious resources such as plastics and metals through a series of detoxification, dismantling and recycling processes. The USJ Students were especially eager to know more about the waste producer responsibility scheme on WEEE that will be fully implemented in Hong Kong on Dec. 31st2018. Since August 1st2018 all sellers of air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, computers, printers, scanners and monitors have to arrange for consumers a free removal service to collect the same type of equipment abandoned by a consumer by a specified collector for proper treatment by a licensed recycler. Through the removal service, the consumer can request the seller to remove the old piece of equipment for free on a “one-piece-to-one-piece” basis.
The second stop in Tuen Mun was the ECO-PARK Visitor Center with educational facilities on energy and resource responsibility, waste avoidance, reduction, and recycling. Eight educational zones – including a Waste Corridor, a Movie Area, a 3-D Landfill Model, 3Rs Zone, Reflection Pond, Group Game Zone, and Plastic Recycling Education Centre – deepen the understanding of municipal solid waste management, resource responsibility, and a more sustainable life-style.
