Recycling is a fundamental responsibility of society to better manage resources and our environmental footprint. The new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Treatment and Recycling Facility (WEEETRF) by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) marks the beginning of a new era in specialised waste management in Hong Kong.
Each year, Hong Kong households and corporates throw away more than 70,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), most of which are exported to other countries for reuse or recovery of valuable materials. Usually, these items are then dumped in landfills or burned, which is highly toxic for the environment. Hence, a mechanism for proper and sustainable treatment and recycling of WEEE is required.
In 2015, German company ALBA Group was awarded a government contract to build the WEEETRF in the Tuen Mun EcoPark and to operate it until 2027, under a joint venture with local recycling company Integrated Waste Solutions Group Holdings Ltd.
The integrated facility is designed to process an initial 30,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEE), including computers, televisions, air-conditioners and refrigerators, per year. Capacity is expected to eventually increase to 56,000 tonnes.
Devices will be collected, sorted and dismantled at five regional centres before being sent to the WEEETRF, where modern processing technology will be used to handle hazardous materials, such as mercury, lead from cathode ray tubes and refrigerants. The useable metals, such as aluminium, copper and gold, are then recovered and recycled into secondary raw materials that can be used for new products.
Architectural firm DLN’s design of the WEEETRF aligns with the EPD’s vision of a low-impact architectural solution that both provides a safe and efficient working environment and demonstrates the government’s commitment to environmentally friendly and sustainable practices.
The facility’s layout is tailored to optimise the WEEE treatment operations that are organised around four different lines of purpose-made recycling plants.
A key feature of the project is the public education centre and visitor gallery that extends through the entire facility and overlooks each of the WEEE recycling process areas, from delivery to processing. Access to the public gallery is via a pedestrian ramp formed on a berm of fill material generated from the excavation works within the site.
The design strives to incorporate and apply Green building principles at the various stages of the project’s life-cycle. As such, the WEEETRF includes a wide range of sustainable Green features, such as the reuse of excavated material; adoption of natural lighting and ventilation; rainwater harvesting for irrigation; provision of green walls with hardy native climbing plants; and use of solar hot water system.
With so many processes under its roof, WEEETRF is a flagship project that will serve as a model for safe and complete e-waste solutions in other countries and regions.
PROJECT DATA
Project Name: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Treatment and Recycling Facility (WEEETRF)
Location: Tuen Mun Eco Park, Hong Kong
Completion Date: January 2017
Site Area: 30,604 square metres
Gross Floor Area: 11,527 square metres
Number of Blocks: 3
Client/Owner: Environmental Protection Department
Architecture Firm: DLN Architects
Main Contractor: ALBA Integrated Waste Solutions (Hong Kong) Ltd; IWS Integrated Waste Solutions Group Holdings Ltd
Civil & Structural Engineer: Hyder Consulting Ltd
Images: DLN
