Charged up: Secretary for the Environment, Transport & Works Dr Sarah Liao and guests launch the Rechargeable Batteries Recycling Programme.

All types of portable rechargeable batteries can be recovered for recycling from today under a product responsibility scheme.

The Environmental Protection Department said the programme is an extension of a trial launched in April 2002 to recover mobile phone batteries and is organised and funded by more than 30 producers and importers of rechargeable battery and electronic equipment.

All types of portable rechargeable batteries including general purpose rechargeable batteries and batteries for mobile phones, cordless phones, notebook computers and digital cameras, are covered by the programme.

Some 300 collection points are set up in shops and stations of participating companies:

* all 54 shops of Fortress;

* all 23 shops of Sunday;

* all 170 Watsons stores;

* Central, Chai Wan, Kwun Tong, Olympic and Po Lam MTR stations;

* Luk Yeung Galleria, Marinetime Square, Paradise Mall and Telford Plaza I and II;

* 12 Shell stations;

* 49 shops of organising companies; and,

* Wellcome and 7-Eleven shops.

Collection points are also set up at 540 housing estates covering 45% of the population in Hong Kong, 83 commercial-industrial buildings and 148 schools.

For locations check the department's website, and call 2838 3111 for enquiries about the programme.

Recycling rechargeable batteries helps reduce the environmental risk and conserve valuable natural resources.