Inaction On Rubber Crumb Pollution 'frustrating'

The environmental charity Plastic Free Seas on Friday called for an investigation into the source of more than two tonnes of rubber crumb that have washed up onto the shoreline in Discovery Bay on Lantau.

The group also expressed frustration that the government has not already launched a thorough probe into the source of the small rubber pieces – first spotted at the end of July.

The group’s director of operations Dana Winograd pointed out that an interdepartmental working group was set up after a major incident in 2012, when 150 tonnes of plastic pellets were spilled into the sea from a container ship.

But she said it remains difficult to report marine pollution, and ensure an investigation would be carried out.

‘So, I feel that they haven’t really acted upon what they said they would at the time,” she said.

“They’ve done quite a good job [on cleanup]… I’d like to see that transition into not only cleanup but also source investigation,” Winograd added.

The group says based on their own investigation, the granules washed up at the shore resembles AstroTurf rubber infill that are used on the North Plaza pitch in Discovery Bay. They say the infill – usually made from ground up rubber tyres – is clearly seen in storm drains which surround the pitch.

It suspects that these pellets get washed out to sea before ending up back on the shoreline.

Winograd told RTHK’s Richard Pyne that the private company that owns Discovery Bay is looking at potential solutions to this problem.

“I also want [the government] to look at this problem of infill granules, or crumbs, getting into the drainage system that leads into sea,” she said.