Green group: Guests officiate at the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Programme Shipping Ceremony.

The first batch of rechargeable batteries recovered under a voluntary producer responsibility scheme will be shipped to a treatment facility in South Korea for recycling.

Speaking at the shipping ceremony for the batteries today, Acting Permanent Secretary for the Environment, Transport & Works (Environment) Dr Michael Chiu said he was pleased with the 5% recovery rate recorded for the first year of the programme. Normally, the recovery rate is 2% to 3% for similar voluntary battery recycling programmes in other places.

"However, we are not complacent with what we have achieved. We will continue to work with the trade to step up publicity and encourage more public participation in the programme," he said.

Launched last April, the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Programme was funded by 34 manufacturers and importers of rechargeable batteries and electronic equipment.

Since the launch, about 13 tonnes of rechargeable batteries, about 320,000 pieces, have been collected, of which 40% were recovered from the industrial and commercial sectors. Six companies - Fujitsu PC Asia Pacific, Hilti (Hong Kong), Jebsen & Co, Lenovo (Hong Kong), Longman Hong Kong Education, and Nikon Hong Kong - have joined.

Collection points are also set up in more than 750 housing estates covering 51% of the population, some 140 commercial and industrial buildings and about 160 schools.