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The new round of "Schools Recycle WEEE", a programme that encourages the proper recycling of computer products and other electrical or electronic products that are retired from use at the start of the school year, is now open for enrolment. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) invites all primary and secondary schools to sign up to the programme and help jointly protect the environment.
An EPD spokesperson said today (September 3), "This is the third year that we are organising the recycling programme for schools at the start of the school year. While public awareness towards waste reduction and recycling has been rising over time, we hope that the programme will be useful for schools and at the same time step up publicity about the proper recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). It will also help to pave way for the implementation of the mandatory producer responsibility scheme in the pipeline."
The Schools Recycle WEEE programme was well received last year with a total of 172 participating schools and over 7,700 items of WEEE collected. This year, the EPD will continue to provide support for participating schools to publicise the programme on campus and will send collection vehicles to them in October and November to take away the WEEE recovered. After sorting, the WEEE collected will then be distributed to WEEE Go Green organised by St James' Settlement and the recycling programme managed by the Hong Kong WEEE Recycling Association for proper treatment.
The EPD spokesperson added, "The programme is free of charge. We have issued invitations to all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. Interested schools may join the programme by completing the reply slip and returning it to the EPD by email or by fax on or before September 30."
In addition to holding the Schools Recycle WEEE programme, the EPD also encourages members of the public to recycle WEEE through the following programmes and outlets:
* Community Green Stations: the first two facilities have been commissioned in Sha Tin and Eastern District. The operators liaise with residential housing estates, institutions and schools within the districts and establish collaboration. They also continuously expand the service network to enhance recycling support for the collection of WEEE and other recyclables;
* Computer Recycling Programme: there are about 900 residential collection points and 400 non-residential points for collection of used computers from members of the public;
* Rechargeable Battery Recycling Programme: collection bins have been placed at more than 1 400 residential collection points and more than 1 300 non-residential collection points in commercial and industrial buildings, MTR stations and fast food chains for the recycling of used rechargeable batteries;
* WEEE Go Green run by St James' Settlement: there are 16 collection points, and regular WEEE collection services are also provided at about 500 housing estates; and
* Mobile WEEE Collection Centre: mobile collection services are provided at weekends in rotation in 18 districts.
For more information about WEEE recycling and other waste reduction initiatives, please visit the EPD's dedicated webpage: www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/index.htm.
Ends/Thursday, September 3, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:05
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