Faculty code: CXP Sequence #: 0701 IQP division: 44 Beverage Producer Responsibility and Recycling An Interactive Qualifying Project Report Submitted to the Faculty of WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science Submitted by: Submitted to: Project Advisor: Creighton Peet, WPI Professor ________________________ Project Co-advisor: Karen Lemone, WPI Professor Timothy Ebner On-Site Liaisons: Edwin C. F. Lau, Acting Director ________________________ Michelle Ladouceur Hahn Chu, Environmental Affairs Manager ________________________ Michelle Au, Nathaniel Rosso Environmental Affairs Officer ________________________ Ting Fung Tsoi Sponsored by: Friends of the Earth Hong Kong Date: March 1, 2007 Abstract The goal of this project was to recommend a framework for a producer responsibility system (PRS) to address the sustainable waste management of glass beverage containers in Hong Kong. The objectives we created to accomplish this goal were to identify the scale of beverage container waste; the mechanics, costs, and difficulties of recycling; and examples of PRS around the world. Results were obtained through interviews, tours, a focus group, and literary searches. From our conclusions, we generated a framework. i Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge and thank the following individuals for providing us with information and support that aided us in the completion of this project: Hahn Chu, Environmental Affairs Manager, Friends of the Earth Hong Kong Michelle Au, Environmental Affairs Officer, Friends of the Earth Hong Kong Edwin C. F. Lau, Acting Director, Friends of the Earth Hong Kong R. Creighton Peet, WPI professor and Hong Kong Project Center Director Karen Lemone, WPI professor The Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department Zinc Lam of Laputa Eco-Construction Material Co., Ltd SIN Kwok-hau, LAM Kang-fuk, YU Man-fung, and YEUNG Shun-kui of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department The following individuals provided us with invaluable support. A special thank you goes out to them: The staff at Friends of the Earth Hong Kong Felix F. S. Choi, Environment, Health & Safety Manager, Swire Coca-Cola HK Tim Lucida Lo of the Tim Wai Group ii Authorship Timothy Ebner, Michelle Ladouceur, Nathaniel Rosso, and Ting Fung Tsoi all contributed to the writing of the project. Each section of the report contains the writing of multiple team members. iii Table of Contents Abstract________________________________________________________________ i Acknowledgements______________________________________________________ ii Authorship ____________________________________________________________iii Table of Contents _______________________________________________________ iv List of Figures ________________________________________________________ vii List of Tables _________________________________________________________ viii List of Acronyms _______________________________________________________ ix Executive Summary _____________________________________________________ ii 1. Introduction _________________________________________________________ 1 2. Background _________________________________________________________ 3 2.1 Definition of EPR ________________________________________________________ 3 2.1.1 Overview and Advantages of EPR _______________________________________________4 2.1.2 Criteria for Establishing EPR____________________________________________________6 2.1.3 Responsibility Defined ________________________________________________________6 2.1.4 Who Should Be Held Responsible?_______________________________________________7 2.1.5 Mandatory vs. Voluntary EPR___________________________________________________8 2.2 Notable EPR in Other Regions ____________________________________________ 10 2.2.1 Japan _____________________________________________________________________10 2.2.2 Taiwan ____________________________________________________________________12 2.2.3 Korea _____________________________________________________________________13 2.2.4 Germany __________________________________________________________________16 2.3 Waste Management in Hong Kong _________________________________________ 17 2.3.1 Management of Municipal Solid Waste___________________________________________17 2.3.2 Waste Reduction Framework Plan_______________________________________________20 2.3.3 Glass Recycling _____________________________________________________________21 2.4 Administration _________________________________________________________ 23 2.4.1 Food and Environmental Hygiene Department _____________________________________24 2.4.2 Environmental Protection Department____________________________________________25 2.4.3 Legislative Council and the Waste Disposal Ordinance ______________________________26 3. Methodology________________________________________________________ 28 3.1 Identify the scale of beverage container waste in Hong Kong.___________________ 28 3.1.1 Bar and Restaurant Interviews __________________________________________________29 3.1.2 Tim Wai Group _____________________________________________________________29 3.1.3 EPD Waste Data ____________________________________________________________30 3.1.4 Correspondence with Felix Choi ________________________________________________30 3.2 Identify the mechanics, costs, and difficulties of glass beverage container recycling in Hong Kong. _______________________________________________________________ 30 3.2.1 Interviews with Bars and Restaurants ____________________________________________31 3.2.2 Tim Wai Group _____________________________________________________________31 3.2.3 Swire Coca-Cola ____________________________________________________________32 iv 3.2.4 Laputa Eco-Construction Material Co., Ltd. _______________________________________32 3.2.5 Food and Environmental Hygiene Department _____________________________________33 3.2.6 Environmental Protection Department____________________________________________33 3.2.7 Students of Hong Kong University ______________________________________________33 3.3 Identify beverage producer responsibility systems used in other countries.________ 34 3.4 Identify examples of beverage producer responsibility in Hong Kong.____________ 34 3.4.1 Tim Wai Group _____________________________________________________________35 3.4.2 Swire Coca-Cola ____________________________________________________________35 3.4.3 Laputa Eco-Construction Material Co., Ltd. _______________________________________35 3.5 Summary ______________________________________________________________ 36 4. Results and Analysis _________________________________________________ 37 4.1 Determine the scale of beverage container waste in Hong Kong _________________ 37 4.2 Identify the mechanics, costs, and difficulties of recycling glass beverage containers in Hong Kong _______________________________________________________________ 40 4.2.1 Collection, Transportation, and Processing Problems ________________________________41 4.2.2 Spatial Limitations___________________________________________________________42 4.2.3 Publicity for Recyclers________________________________________________________43 4.2.4 Convenience _______________________________________________________________43 4.2.5 Material Selection: Glass vs. PET _______________________________________________45 4.2.6 Construction Value of Glass ___________________________________________________46 4.2.7 Government Support _________________________________________________________48 4.2.8 Past Recycling Attempts ______________________________________________________50 4.2.9 Support from NGO’s _________________________________________________________51 4.2.10 EPD vs. FEHD: Conflicting Goals _____________________________________________52 4.3 Identify successful and unsuccessful beverage producer responsibility systems used in other countries ____________________________________________________________ 53 4.4 Identify examples of beverage producer responsibility in Hong Kong ____________ 56 4.4.1 Financial Responsibility ______________________________________________________57 4.4.2 Physical Responsibility _______________________________________________________59 4.4.3 Conclusions ________________________________________________________________62 4.5 Summary ______________________________________________________________ 63 5. Conclusions ________________________________________________________ 64 5.1 Engage the Cooperation of Producers ______________________________________ 65 5.2 Empower the Consumer _________________________________________________ 66 5.3 Stimulate Local Business & Recycling Technology____________________________ 67 5.4 Maintain Free-Market Ideals _____________________________________________ 68 5.5. Maximize Feasibility ____________________________________________________ 69 6. Recommendations: Framework ________________________________________ 71 Bibliography__________________________________________________________ 76 Appendix A: Sponsor description _________________________________________ 81 Appendix B: Landfilli information ________________________________________ 83 Appendix C: Government structure _______________________________________ 90 v Appendix D: Global PRS________________________________________________ 91 Appendix E: Restaurant/bar information___________________________________ 92 Appendix F: Focus group with HKU students _______________________________ 99 Appendix G: Focus group questionnaire __________________________________