Erdwich to meet Hong Kong’s growing e-challenge

China – German recycling equipment specialist Erdwich has won a multimillion-dollar contract to build and operate Hong Kong’s first e-scrap recycling facility at Tuen Mun, reports the South China Morning Post. The densely-populated city is said to produce 70 000 tonnes of e-scrap every year.

Under the 12-year contract awarded by Alba Group subsidiary Alba Integrated Waste Solutions Hong Kong, Erdwich will spend two years building the plant and will then operate the collection and recycling system in the city for the remaining time period. The Chinese government recently agreed to provide the funds to construct the HK$ 548.6 million (US$ 70 million) system, while it will also cover operational costs expected to average HK$ 200 million (US$ 26 million) a year.

According to Alba’s ceo Axel Schweitzer, the facility will boast a capacity of 30 000 tonnes per year, which could be optimised to 55 000 tonnes through additional shifts. The plant is slated to achieve a turnover of around HK$ 2.5 billion (US$ 320 million) over the course of the decade – as long as prices of recyclables remain relatively stable during the 10-year period. The material will be sold predominantly to mainland Chinese buyers.

‘As a world-beating international metropolis, Hong Kong is responding proactively to the challenges of waste management and recycling,’ comments Schweitzer. ‘We are confident that the project will make a substantial contribution to the city’s environmental management system and open a new chapter on its sustainable economic development.’