An amendment bill that aims to impose legislative control on the management of clinical waste and the disposal of imported waste will be re-introduced to the Legislative Council on May 18.

The Waste Disposal (Amendment) Bill 2005, to be gazetted on May 6, also aims to set out in the Waste Disposal Ordinance the international ban prohibiting the export of hazardous waste from developed countries, known as the Basel Ban. 

Subject to the passing of the bill, its enactment will introduce the clinical waste control scheme to protect the community from the potential health risk posed by clinical waste.

The bill will define clinical waste and introduce licensing schemes, to be administrated by the Environmental Protection Department, for the collection and disposal of clinical waste.

Detailed requirements

Upon the passing of the bill, the department will introduce a regulation to set out the detailed requirements for the disposal of clinical waste and will issue Codes of Practise for waste producers and collectors to provide guidance on the proper management of clinical waste.

The bill will also impose control on the disposal of imported waste and provide legal backing to the Basel Ban which has been administratively implemented since 1998.

To tighten the control and conserve our valuable landfill space, the bill proposes that the disposal of non-hazardous waste imported for recycling shall require prior authorisation.

The Director of Environmental Protection will only grant such authorisation if an applicant can prove they have exhausted all possible recycling outlets and all means to return waste to the place of origin. The applicant will have to pay the full disposal cost.