Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, on the implementation of the Producer Responsibility Scheme on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment after attending radio programmes this morning (August 1):
Reporter: For the said producer pays scheme, how you can enforce it? I mean, how ready are these producers right now? And what enforcement actually will be carried out?
Secretary for the Environment: The new PRS (Producer Responsibility Scheme) requires the suppliers and retailers to discharge their duties. We note that some of them are submitting their applications late. But, at the start of this new PRS, we focus our enforcement on those who have done nothing about the registration or submission.
Reporter: And, our consumers are under the scheme. Consumers will have to wait about like four days before their old appliances can be removed. Is that the best arrangement, do you think? Can it be shortened?
Secretary for the Environment: I think the scheme should be reasonable. For instance, if a customer buys a new appliance, usually they have to wait for a few days for the new appliance to be delivered to their home. So, the advice to the customer is that they should talk to the retailers, so that they can somehow co-ordinate the delivery date and the take-back date on the same day. I think that would be doable, and the concerned collectors should be allowed a reasonable logistics provision to cater for their provision (of service).
Reporter: What about the consumer decides to throw away their old appliance by themselves? I mean, would the producer be in trouble in any way?
Secretary for the Environment: I think the essence of the new PRS is to safeguard the environment, that the retailers, suppliers and even the consumers should bear certain responsibility. As a reasonable citizen, we have to understand that our action may somehow affect the environment. So, we recommend them to make the best use of the take-back service provided by a licensed recycler. Thank you.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
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