Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department has proposed the spending of 316 million HK dollars (US$40.5 million) on building a 19-hectare EcoPark in western part of New Territories of Hong Kong.

The Phase I project is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

In a paper presented to the Legislative Council Panel on the Environmental Affairs Committee on Monday, the department said the EcoPark will promote the growth of the waste recycling and environmental industry in Hong Kong.

The department said as much as 2.4 million tons of municipal solid waste are recovered as recyclable material annually, but more than 90 percent are exported for recycling.

As the recovery rate increases steadily over the years, the proportion of materials recycled locally has dropped from 15 percent in 1999 to 9 percent in 2004, the department said, adding it generates a considerable amount of revenue, reaching 3.4 billion HK dollars (US$436 million) last year.

It said that the current over-dependence on export as an outlet for recovered materials makes the local recycling industry insecure in the long run as the market demand for recyclable materials is highly volatile. The international trend is to increasingly restrict trans-boundary movement of waste, even recyclable waste.

To address these problems and to realize recycling's full potential, the department aims to promote the local recycling industry so that recyclable materials can be turned into products that have higher economic value and more stable and reliable markets.

The HK government will build and fund the EcoPark's basic physical infrastructure, including a road network, drainage, sewers, telecommunication networks, power supplies, berthing facilities, a wastewater treatment plant, a waste collection and management facility, and car parking spaces.

(Xinhua News Agency May 31, 2005)