Recovery and Recycling of Plastic Waste in Hong Kong

W a
ste Reduction and Recovery

Factsheet No.4



4.



Recovery and Recycling of


Plastic Waste in Hong Kong





4.1 Introduction

Figure 1


The majority of plastic waste recovered in Hong Kong are clean
Outlets of Recovered
scraps and rejects from manufacturing sources. With the increasing
Plastics in 2007

market demand on plastic materials and scraps, much of the plastic


waste collected from domestic sources is now being recycled.

Export
Post-consumer plastic such as plastic bottles and plastic bags are
(99.8%)

being collected through the territory-wide programme on source


separation of waste and 3-coloured waste separation bins placed at

public places.






4.2 Situation in 2007




About 820 thousand tonnes of plastic waste were recovered in Hong

Kong. This represented about 60% of the total plastic waste arising

Recycled
(dry weight). The amount recovered in 2007 increased by 173

Locally

thousand tonnes (or 27%) as compared with 2006. The recovered

(0.2%)
plastic waste was either recycled locally (0.2% or 2 000 tonnes) or

exported to the Mainland and other countries for recycling (99.8% or


818 thousand tonnes).






4.3 Local Plastic Waste Recovery and Recycling



Most local plastic recyclers consume only clean and homogeneous


pre-consumer plastic waste collected from the industrial sector.

The plastic waste recycling process starts with the sorting by resin

types. The plastics are rinsed to remove contaminants. The sorted


and washed waste is then crushed and mixed with colourant before

melting and pelletising. The pellets produced will be sold to plastic

product manufacturers as raw material. A flow diagram of a typical


plastic recycling process in Hong Kong is shown in Figure 2.


Figure 2
Flow


Diagram of a Typical Plastic Recycling Process in Hong Kong



Virgin re
sin and/or
Normal process flow


colo
urant
Other process flow




Separate



Recycled
plastics by
Crushing


Melting
Extrusion
Pelletisation

colour and

Pellet

type








Washing
Drying

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4. Recovery and Recycling of



Plastic Waste in Hong Kong



The Government has been promoting waste recycling through the


use of 3-coloured waste separation bins placed at housing estates
Baled Shopping Bags

and public places. To broaden the types of plastic recyclables to be

recovered, from mid 2005 onwards, the public can put all types of


clean and dry plastic recyclables in the ‘brown’ waste separation bins


located at public places. Plastic recyclables to be collected by the

‘brown’ bins include not only plastic bottles (e.g. beverage bottles,


shampoo bottles), but also used plastic bags, plastic containers (e.g.


buckets), plastic toys, plastic flower-pots and CDs etc.




At housing estates, the Environmental Protection Department


(EPD) has rolled out a territory-wide campaign in January 2005 to

promote separation of domestic waste at source. The programme


aims to make it more convenient for residents to separate waste at


source by encouraging and assisting property management

companies to provide waste separation facilities on each floor of


their buildings. The programme also aims to expand the types of


recyclables to be collected. Additional types of recyclables include

all plastic materials.






With the expansion of plastic recyclables to be collected by the

‘brown’ separation bins in public places and the setting up of plastic


recyclable collection facilities on each floor of the residential
Baled Plastic Bottles

buildings, more members of the public are now able to participate in

plastic waste recovery. The recovery rate is therefore anticipated to


increase in future.







4.4 Major Constraints on Plastic Waste Recovery and


Recycling




In addition to the general constraints on waste recovery/recycling in


Hong Kong such as relatively high costs of land and labour, lack of

financial incentives to reduce waste, space limitation, there are other


factors which further limit the extent of plastic waste recovery and


recycling activities in Hong Kong. These include:




a)
The contaminated nature of plastic waste, in particular when


co-mingled with domestic waste, increases the cost of

cleaning and decreases the market value of the recovered


plastic waste.




b)
The low density and bulky nature of plastic waste further
Baled Industrial

increase the cost of collection and require more space for
Plastic Bags

storage when compared with other recyclable materials. For

example, a typical 1-litre PET bottle weighs less than 30g.


The value of a full-truck-load of plastic waste is sometimes


too low to recover the transportation cost required to deliver

the load.





c)
The mixing of different resin types of plastic makes

reprocessing even more difficult.





d)
The volatile market price of virgin plastic is a main barrier to

the plastic recovery and recycling industry. The price of

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4. Recovery and Recycling of


Plastic Waste in Hong Kong





virgin plastic materials fluctuates with the political and economic

situations and this indirectly affects the price of recovered plastic


materials.







4.5 Plastic Coding




One of the pre-requisites for successful plastic recovery and


recycling is the use of plastic coding to facilitate the sorting process.


It is a simple and effective means to ensure plastic containers and

materials of various resins can be identified for proper treatment.





A voluntary plastic coding system has been initiated in Hong Kong

by EPD. It does not incur any significant cost to manufacturers and


importers.




A commonly used and internationally recognised coding system (the


one used by the Society of Plastics Industry, USA) is adopted and


this avoids putting importers at a disadvantageous position (Table 1).


Table 1. Plastic

Manufacturers and importers will need to adapt their mould bases or
Coding System

printing runs to incorporate the new code. They will also need to

confirm the type of resin in their products.



Polyethylene



Terephthalate
Although the coding system may not be able to stimulate the

(PET)
recycling market immediately, it can be conceived as an educational


PET
PETE
tool to the community as a starting point. It is hoped the plastic

Example: Clear soft drink
coding system will enhance the efficiency of materials recovery

and beverage bottles, films
facilities.





Waste Reduction and EcoPark Group



Environmental Protection Department


June 2008







High Density



Low Density

Polyvinyl

Polyethylene

Polyethylene

Chloride
(HDPE)
(LDPE)


(PVC)
HDPE
PE-HD

PVC
V
LDPE
PE-LD




Example: Detergent bottles,

Example: Water pipes, bath curtains,
Example: Cling film, bread bags,


industrial wrapping and film,

credit cards, packaging film, water
plastic bags, shrink wrap

sheets, shopping bags

containers














All other resin and

Polypropylene (PP)


Polystyrene (PS)
multi-materials not


PS
otherwise defined

PP
OTHER
O


Example: microwave containers,


Example: Disposable cups
Example: CD, complex
sweet and snack wrappers,


and plates, fast-food boxes,

composites
straws, artificial lawns


CD cases, VHS tapes

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