Sticking with Shek Kwu Chau incinerator as best option
I wish to respond to the letters by Mary Melville on the disposal of food waste ("Environment-friendly fix makes molehill of food waste mountain", October 12) and Frank Lee on thermal waste treatment technologies ("Officials stick with outdated technology", October 24).
We have already examined the use of a food waste grinder. It merely transfers the food waste from the solid waste disposal system to the liquid waste disposal system without any enhanced treatment.
It would also increase both sewage pollution loads and the amount of sewage, with adverse impact on the existing sewerage network and sewage treatment works. The higher solid contents will lead to the need for higher sewer maintenance frequency and costs, as well as higher risks of sewer blockage.
In addition, a food waste grinder is not conducive to source separation of food waste. Its adoption on a large scale does not seem to be consistent with the philosophy of sustainable use of resources.
We will continue to reduce food waste and develop modern, large-scale organic waste treatment facilities using anaerobic digestion as the core technology.
The modern thermal waste-to-energy plant to be built near Shek Kwu Chau to deal with municipal solid waste (MSW) will be designed to meet the European Union Directive on Incineration of Waste, which requires very high heat flue gas combustion.
