'Weee Park' To Recycle Local E-waste

Hong Kong on Monday opened a new recycling facility which aims to convert around 30,000 tonnes of electrical waste per year into reusable raw materials.

The government-funded plant in Tuen Mun, called the Weee (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Park, will recycle items such as air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, TVs and computers.

Hong Kong generates about 70,000 tonnes of e-waste per year, and most of it is sent abroad to places including Africa and South East Asia.

But it's hoped the park will process around 42-percent of this e-waste, converting it into secondary raw materials like plastics and metals.

Besides recycling products, Weee Park will also refurbish electrical appliances that haven't completely had their day, so they can be donated to the needy.

The Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, said during an opening ceremony for the facility that the park will provide Hong Kong with the necessary processing capacity to recycle and treat its own e-waste from now on.