The Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) said in a statement yesterday that it has installed 42 plastic bottle recycling machines in different parts of the city.
According to the statement, the bureau has started installing the new machines to collect plastic bottles for recycling since last October. The statement said that the new machines are different from the traditional recycling bins as they can identify whether liquid has been removed from the bottle or not.
The statement said that the machines only accept bottles that have a capacity smaller than 1.5 litres and a diameter smaller than 12 centimetres, adding that the bottles must have their plastic wrap on along with the barcode for the machine to categorise the bottles accordingly. The statement pointed out that the machines do not accept bottles with liquid still in them or without a barcode.
According to the statement, after putting plastic bottles in the machine, one can earn points under the bureau’s existing “recycle FUN” programme, adding that participants will receive a gift from the bureau after accumulating a certain number of points.
The statement noted that over the past year the bureau has collected 74,000 plastic bottles. The statement also pointed out that until last month, 42 plastic bottle recycling machines were installed at sports pavilions, Light Rail Train (LRT) stations and border checkpoints.
DSPA Director Raymond Tam Vai Man said last year that the contractor will process and then export the plastic bottles collected from the machines for recycling. He also said that the bureau had “provisionally” decided that the collected plastic bottles be exported to Thailand for recycling there.
Moreover, according to the statement, the bureau’s recycling vehicles have expanded their recycling options since last month. The statement said that the vehicles now collect plastic bottles, tins, paper, glass bottles, used batteries and more, adding that the vehicles visit 16 different spots in the city each month.
For more information, go to the www.dspa.gov.mo website or call 2876 2626.
This undated handout photo provided by the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) yesterday shows a plastic bottle recycling machine having been installed next to a traditional bottle recycling bin.
