A study on source separation of domestic food waste in Hong Kong

Abstract

Food waste accounts for one-third of all municipal solid waste disposed of at landfills. The majority of food waste originates from the domestic source. As this large amount of food waste generated every day has been taking up valuable landfill space which is already saturating, we should handle these putrescible waste in an environmentally sound and sustainable way. While the Organic Resources Recovery Centres provide the necessary treatment capability to recycle the source-separated organic waste and minimize the demand for landfill disposal, our next focus should be put on how to improve the participation. In view of this, the study aims to provide recommendations on improving the participation in household food waste source separation. In order to achieve the aim, a literature review was carried out to examine policies and practice on source separation of food waste in a global context. Around the world, policy options ranging from voluntary to incentivized and mandatory are adopted. These options may suit different culture and waste management objectives. To understand the local situation, a total of 192 participants participated in a questionnaire survey which was conducted to understand people’s view on source separation of household food waste. It was shown that 76% of the respondents were willing to separate food waste from other household waste in view of other waste management developments, namely free food waste collection scheme and quantitybased waste charging scheme. However, only 25% of them supported making separation of food waste mandatory. To understand how social determinants may affect the participation, multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. It was found that when the educational level is higher, the level of awareness of waste management and level of willingness to practise source separation will be higher, and they will be more positive towards waste separation and more supportive of the mandatory separation of food waste. In the light of the above findings, if a voluntary approach failed to deliver our waste reduction objectives, financial incentives (such as monetary rewards and quantity-based waste charging) should be provided to encourage participation. On the other hand, a mandatory approach, even though very effective in promoting recycling behaviour, will face strong opposition from members of the public. For education and promotion activities, more resources should be allocated to districts that are populated by residents with lower educational level, such as Kwai Tsing District, to maximize the cost-effectiveness of the publicity campaign.