EPD awards service contract for treatment and recycling of washing machines

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 13) announced that, following an open tendering exercise, a 10-month contract for providing treatment and recycling services for washing machines has been awarded to Vannex International Limited.

     An EPD spokesman said, "The EPD invited tenders to provide treatment and recycling services for washing machines collected outside the statutory removal services under the Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance. It is hoped that through this open tendering, local recyclers are encouraged to enhance their operational standards by obtaining waste disposal licences in compliance with the requirements set out in the Waste Disposal Ordinance.

     "The tendering would also encourage recyclers to invest and participate fully in the recycling and treatment of waste regulated electrical equipment to promote the development of the recycling industry and help enable a circular economy. Vannex International Limited has been granted a waste disposal licence to carry out the treatment of waste washing machines as it has considerable experience in recycling electrical and electronic equipment locally," the spokesman said.

     "The number of private recyclers granted a waste disposal licence to carry out the treatment of waste washing machines has been increased from two before the open tendering to six at present. During the contract period, we will observe any market changes or developments and make reference to the experience before deciding on the need to prepare another contract for bidding by interested recyclers," the spokesman added.

     The Producer Responsibility Scheme on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), or WPRS in short, which covers air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, computers, printers, scanners and monitors – collectively referred to as regulated electrical equipment (REE) – has been in operation since August 1 last year. The WPRS enables the WEEE generated locally to be recycled into resources.

     The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Treatment and Recycling Facility (WEEE·PARK), developed by the Government, became fully operational in March last year to ensure that Hong Kong has adequate capacity for processing locally generated waste REE, particularly those items with lower recycling value or higher processing costs such as refrigerators and washing machines. Since the commencement of the WPRS in August 2018, the WEEE·PARK has cumulatively processed over 21 500 tonnes of waste REE as at the end of July this year.