The recycling rate of domestic waste in Hong Kong rose from 16 percent to 31 percent during the year 2005 to 2008, the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong said Thursday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Forum on Source Separation of Waste here Thursday, Hong Kong's Permanent Secretary for the Environment Anissa Wong said the Source Separation of Waste Program has been widely supported by the community.

From its inauguration in 2005 through 2008, the recycling rate of domestic waste increased from 16 percent to 31 percent. During the same period, landfill disposal of domestic waste had also dropped by 10 percent in accumulation.

Almost 1,200 housing estates signed up for the territory-wide program thus far, which covered 64 percent of Hong Kong's population.

The department also introduced the program on Source Separation of Commercial and Industrial Waste in 2007 to encourage industrial and commercial buildings as well as other non-residential premises to set up and implement appropriate waste recycling mechanism.

The program has been running smoothly with about 520 industrial and commercial buildings taking part.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2009)