Incorporated owners' committees, owners' committees and residents' organisations of private housing estates/buildings are invited to apply for funding support from the Environment & Conservation Fund to join the Programme on Source Separation of Domestic Waste.

The fund has allocated $5 million to enlist more estates to join the programme. Each participating estate/building can select the most suitable location and mode of waste separation to meet its particular physical settings and other characteristics.

The fund will reimburse up to 25% of the total spent for the approved waste-separation facilities on each floor, subject to a maximum of $150,000 per estate.

Over 150 estates have joined

More than 150 housing estates/buildings have signed up to join the programme which was rolled out in January.

For housing-estate buildings participating in the programme, the aim is to achieve a 50% increase in recovery in the first year of implementation.

The overall domestic waste-recovery rate was targeted to increase from the present 14% to 20% by 2007.

Application forms, a guide to application and details of the programme are now available at the Environmental Protection Department 's website. Enquiries can also be made at 2872 1724.

Completed forms should be returned to the department before October 31. All applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.