英譯概念:Pulp mill to tackle waste paper

[2022.11.28] 發表
In recent years, the recycling rate of waste paper in Hong Kong has continued to decline. In 2020, the recycling rate of wastepaper was only 31.8%, a record low in recent years. As for the amount of waste paper disposed of in landfills, it has remained at over 900,000 tonnes in recent years.

【明報專訊】In recent years, mainland China has tightened the import of recyclable materials. This, together with the decline in international paper prices, has affected the local recycling price of waste paper. Recycling volumes continue to decline even though the government is footing the bill with taxpayers' money. To reduce dependence on the export market, the government approved the building of a paper recycling plant at EcoPark in 2018, but the scheme ended prematurely. In the government's 2020 Policy Address, it was further proposed that modern pulping facilities be built at EcoPark. The Environmental Protection Department(EPD)plans to have a pulp mill built on an area of about 1.4 hectares at EcoPark. The bidding process has been completed, and it is expected that the mill will begin operation in 2025, processing no less than 300,000 tonnes of local waste paper each year.

Jacky Lau Yiu-shing, chairman of the Hong Kong Recycle Materials and Re-production Business General Association, who is also a contractor of the project, says he hopes the pulp mill will be completed as soon as possible to stabilise the local paper prices. He says a more satisfactory situation is that taxpayers' money will not be used to subsidise the scheme, and the market will be back on track. Hahn Chu, director of Environmental Affairs at The Green Earth, says that the pulp mill will only be able to handle about 300,000 tonnes of waste paper every year. However, over the past year or so, the problem of recycled paper being soaked with water - so that it can weigh more - has recurred. Chu says the EPD must do a good job of supervision. Even if some of the waste paper is handled locally, about half of it will still be exported to Southeast Asia. If the quality is not good, the competitiveness will be weakened, and recycled paper prices can even drop.

Mock examination question

What challenges might the Hong Kong government face when dealing with waste? Explain your answer.

(4 marks)

(1) Difficulties in oversight

The government may face difficult regulatory challenges when dealing with waste. Take waste paper recycling. According to the source, Hahn Chu, director of Environmental Affairs at The Green Earth, says that even the newly built pulp mills can only handle about 300,000 tonnes of waste paper each year. The problem of recycled paper being soaked with water - so that it can weigh more - has recurred. Chu says the EPD must do a good job of supervision. Even if some of the waste paper is handled locally, about half of it will still be exported to Southeast Asia. If the quality is not good, the competitiveness will be weakened, and recycled paper prices can even drop.

(2) Environmental pollution

When the government deals with waste, it might face the challenge of environmental pollution. Hong Kong mainly disposes of waste by landfilling. However, landfills in Hong Kong are already operating at full capacity, and landfills will also pollute the land. To solve the problem, the government plans to build incinerators to treat waste and turn waste into energy at the same time. While it might cost less to dispose of waste through incineration technology, it may pollute the environment. Take the treatment of food waste. Food waste contains a high concentration of water, which makes it difficult to fully utilise the energy efficiency during incineration. If the food waste contains a high salt content, more dioxins will be released during the incineration process. In conclusion, the use of incineration technology to dispose of waste can pose environmental challenges.

(本刊刊出的文章若提出批評,旨在指出相關制度、政策或措施存在錯誤或缺點,目的是促使矯正或消除這些錯誤或缺點,循合法途徑予以改善,絕無意圖煽動他人對政府或其他社群產生憎恨、不滿或敵意。)

[智學公民 第043期]

更多教育
焦點新聞
【明報專訊】■印尼挺港入RCEP 特首李家超11月18日在泰國曼谷出席亞太經合組織(APEC)峰會領導人非正式會議,並分別與印尼總統佐... 詳情
我的社區:划龍舟探漁家
【明報專訊】香港有「八大漁港」、「四大漁村」之說,香港仔均榜上有名,更被視為「漁村之首」,香港仔漁業至今仍存,來自香港仔漁民家族的鄭文達(達... 詳情
我的社區:(續)
【明報專訊】「我在家中學到的經驗、感受到的情義,都想讓更多市民認識。」香港仔漁民家族、龍舟教練鄭文達(達教練)的爸爸、祖父皆是漁民,經每代口... 詳情
新聞解碼:魚油
【明報專訊】魚油含有奧米加3脂肪酸,對身體有益,故市面上有不少魚油補充劑,幫助繁忙的都市人補充營養,但消委會從補充劑驗出污染物。除了吃補充劑... 詳情

明報網站 · 版權所有 · 不得轉載
Copyright © 2022 mingpaocanada.com All rights reserved.
Ming Pao Daily News A wholly owned subsidiary of Ming Pao Enterprise Corporation Ltd.
Toronto Chinese Newspaper

Chief Executive Officer: Ka Ming Lui | Executive Chief Editor: Richard Kwok Kai Ng
1355 Huntingwood Drive, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada M1S 3J1 | Tel.: (416) 321-0088 | Fax: (416) 321-5377 | Advertising Hotline Tel: (416) 673-8250