Laws will be introduced this year providing the framework for producer responsibility schemes, which will assign appropriate parties to collect, recycle and properly dispose of used products that do not have a ready market.

Secretary for the Environment, Transport & Works Dr Sarah Liao told lawmakers today that product-specific measures will be introduced through subsidiary legislation.

A voluntary producer responsibility scheme for recovering rechargeable batteries was initiated last April.

"Based on overseas experience, it would take time for similar programmes to fully develop their effectiveness," she said.

Waste recovery

In 2002-2004 the recovery rate of locally generated municipal solid waste ranged from 36% to 41% with an average of 39%. About 9% of the recovered materials were recycled locally while the rest were exported for recycling.

Dr Liao wants to increase the recovery rate to 45% by 2009 and to 50% by 2014.

In 2002-2004 the average recovery rate for domestic waste was 14% and that for commercial and industrial waste was 59%.

Dr Liao said the source separation programme will increase the domestic waste recovery rate from the present 14% to 20% by 2007 and to 26% by 2012 with the help of other measures like municipal solid waste charging and mandatory producer responsibility schemes being in place.