Hong Kong to Process All Locally Recovered Waste Paper at EcoPark Facility

Hong Kong will begin processing all locally recovered waste paper domestically from 1 October 2026, following the launch of a modernised paper pulping facility at EcoPark in Tuen Mun.

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said the facility began operations on 27 July and is gradually increasing capacity to handle Hong Kong’s full annual volume of waste paper. Processing capacity is expected to increase from more than 500,000 tonnes a year to 720,000 tonnes, which the department said is sufficient to handle all waste paper generated in the city.

The upgraded facility also expands the range of paper accepted for recycling. In addition to cardboard, newspapers and office paper, the system covers mixed paper including paper bags, packaging boxes and wrapping paper.

The EPD said the development shifts Hong Kong’s waste paper system away from a model focused largely on collection and export towards local waste-to-resources processing.

“With the commissioning of the Facility, Hong Kong’s local waste paper recycling chain is undergoing a transformation,” an EPD spokesman said, adding that the change would expand local processing and support resource circulation and the development of a circular economy.

Under the waste paper pulping and export services contract, the facility operator is required to purchase waste paper from collectors and recyclers at a designated price. The benchmark, reviewed by the EPD based on prevailing market prices for high-quality corrugated paper and paperboard in Guangdong Province, has risen from HK$1,200 per tonne in July to HK$1,295.51 per tonne.

A minimum purchasing price of HK$0.65 per kilogram has also been introduced for waste paper meeting specified quality standards, with the EPD saying the measure is intended to protect frontline collectors and support pricing stability.

The facility recorded a single-day intake of 1,608 tonnes in September, 4 per cent above last year’s average daily intake. The EPD has also held briefings for recycling and sorting operators and established a communication platform involving the department, sorting and baling facilities and the facility operator.

As local processing expands, the existing contract supporting waste paper exports will end. Recyclers that continue exporting waste paper will need to make their own commercial arrangements under market conditions.