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■本港每日傾倒逾1.5萬噸垃圾。政府強調，徵費旨在鼓勵市民減廢，而非收取金錢。 資料圖片
可持續發展委員會25日就都市固體廢物收費展開第二階段公眾諮詢，提出每戶每月繳付30元至74元供公眾討論，同時提出3種模式實行家居廢物按量徵費。垃圾徵費有助紓緩本港堆填區飽和問題，然而，市民缺乏有效渠道把垃圾分類減少廢物，制約了減廢計劃的成效。政府應藉垃圾徵費的契機，借鑑外國經驗，推動本港的垃圾分類計劃和回收行業，加強徵費計費配套，減少固體廢物之餘，亦可創造更多就業機會。
事實上，玻璃瓶、報紙、木料、紙盒、膠瓶和鋁罐等家居生活垃圾均是可循環再用的回收物料，外地早已推動各種廢物分類計劃。日本的垃圾分類標準嚴格細緻，回收桶細分成十多種，新加坡亦研究推行源頭分類和設立回收中心，內地亦逐步發展廢物回收業。長遠而言，政府應參考外國經驗，推行強制性垃圾分類及回收之餘，跟上先進城市處理廢物的方法，推出扶助回收業的措施，加大力度發展回收再造產業，資助回收再造業發展，為減廢回收建立可持續發展的基礎。這可將垃圾轉化為可循環再用的資源，紓緩堆填區爆滿壓力，為本港開拓新興的環保產業，徹底解決本港廢物問題，也可創造更多就業機會。
Waste charging should be complemented by source separation
September 25th, the Council for Sustainable Development started the second phase of public consultation on municipal solid waste charging, proposing a charge of HK$30 to HK$74 per household per month. The proposal is now open for public discussion and at the same time three models to implement quantity-based household waste charging has been suggested. Waste charging can ease the problem of landfill saturation in Hong Kong. There is a lack of effective channels for the general public to separate garbage and so to reduce waste, so the effectiveness of the waste reduction programme is limited. The government should take the opportunity that comes along with waste charging and learn from the experience of foreign countries to promote the local waste separation programme and foster the development of the recycling industry. Not only will this help the mechanism of calculating waste charges as well as the reduction of solid waste, but also create more job opportunities.
Actually, most household wastes, such as glass bottles, newspapers, wooden materials, paper boxes, plastic bottles and aluminum cans, are recoverable materials that can be recycled and reused. Many foreign countries have long been implementing various kinds of waste separation schemes. In Japan, the waste separation standards are very stringent and well-defined, with recovery bins being divided into over a dozen categories. Singapore is now studying the introduction of a source separation programme and the establishment of a recovery centre. The Mainland is also building a recovery industry step by step. In the long term, the Hong Kong government should study the experience of foreign countries and introduce a mandatory waste separation and recovery scheme. It should also catch up with other advanced urban societies in ways of handling wastes and introduce measures to assist the development of the recovery industry. The government should give greater support to the recycling and recovery industry, provide financing to the industry in order to foster its development and so build a basis for sustainable development of waste reduction and recovery. This can turn waste into recyclable useful resources, ease the pressure on landfills, and nurture the growth of a brand new environmental protection industry. Then, the waste problem in Hong Kong can be completely solved and more job opportunities can also be created.（節自香港《文匯報》2013年9月26日） ■English Translation by Tung-ming
[tungming23@gmail.com]
隔星期三見報
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