Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department: The amount of urban solid waste disposal in Hong Kong is expected to be 3.85 million tons in 2024, decreasing for the third consecutive year.

On December 22, the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong released the waste statistics for the year 2024. The amount of solid waste disposed of in urban areas of Hong Kong has been decreasing for three consecutive years, with 3.85 million metric tons in 2024, averaging 10,510 metric tons per day, which is a 3.4% decrease from the 10,884 metric tons per day in 2023. Among them, plastic waste decreased by 11.1%; kitchen waste decreased by 6.0%; and glass decreased by 7.1%. The per capita disposal of urban solid waste is 1.4 kilograms per day, which is a 3.3% decrease from the 1.44 kilograms per day in 2023. In 2024, of the three major categories of urban solid waste disposed of, kitchen waste accounted for 29%, followed by waste paper and plastic waste, accounting for 23% and 18% respectively. With the government actively promoting various kitchen waste recycling measures and advocating for reducing the use of plastic, including the implementation of regulations on single-use plastics in 2024, the proportions of kitchen waste and plastic waste have both decreased compared to 2023. The decrease in plastic waste disposal reflects the increasing global awareness of reducing plastic use and the effectiveness of various related measures promoted by the government. The government's optimization of the plastic shopping bag charging scheme in December 2022 has resulted in a continuous decline in the disposal of shopping bags to 56,408 metric tons in 2024, a decrease of 11% from 63,367 metric tons in 2023. Meanwhile, the proportion of waste paper has increased, mainly due to mixed paper that is difficult to recycle. The recycling rate of urban solid waste has been increasing for four consecutive years, rising from 33% in 2023 to 34% in 2024, with a total increase of approximately 50,000 metric tons, driven primarily by kitchen waste (approximately 26,000 metric tons) and ferrous metals (approximately 53,000 metric tons). A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department noted that in order to achieve the vision of "waste reduction, resource cycling, and zero waste disposal" by 2035, the current government has been focusing on promoting a culture of green waste reduction and recycling through community recycling networks and kitchen waste recycling networks, encouraging citizens to actively participate in waste reduction and recycling. The latest statistics show that the current government has successfully reversed the long-term trend of increasing waste disposal, while the recycling rate continues to rise, indicating significant progress in the government's efforts to promote waste reduction and recycling. As for construction waste, the overall generation of construction waste in 2024 increased by approximately 4,945 metric tons per day (11%) from 2023, to an average of 50,505 metric tons per day. The amount of construction waste sent to landfills for disposal increased slightly by about 6% to approximately 4,694 metric tons per day. During the same period, construction activities completed by major contractors increased by 6.3% from 2023. However, the overall reuse rate of construction waste has exceeded 90%, totaling an average of 45,810 metric tons per day. The government will continue to promote waste reduction and classifications, support green waste recycling culture, improve recycling networks, collaborate closely with industries to explore and implement practical environmental protection measures, and utilize the market's resources for environmental infrastructure to facilitate the transition to a green economy. At the same time, the government is developing a network of advanced and efficient modern waste-to-energy facilities, with the first waste-to-energy facility, IPARK1, commencing services at the end of this year. The government is also working on the preparation for the second waste-to-energy facility, IPARK2, to expand the waste-to-energy capacity in alignment with the government's effort to encourage waste reduction and recycling, aiming towards the goal of zero waste to landfills. Date: December 22, 2025 (Monday) Time: 13:11 Hong Kong Time