KMB Recycled 280,000 Fluorescent Tubes

Committed in its support of environmental protection, KMB was the first enterprise in Hong Kong to participate in the fluorescent tube recycling campaign. Since its participation in the campaign in 2006, KMB had collected and recycled 280,000 fluorescent tubes as at the end of November 2009, thus dramatically reducing the impact of solid waste on the environment.

According to the design of a fluorescent tube, light is generated when an electric current activates mercury atoms in the tube. When the tube reaches the end of its life, a small amount of mercury remains in the tube. Recycling fluorescent tubes can thus help reduce a pollutant at source as well as preventing any long-term effects of mercury on the environment.

KMB has set up five collection points at Lai Chi Kok Depot, Kowloon Bay Depot, Sha Tin Depot, Tuen Mun Depot and Tuen Mun KMB Overhaul Centre, which gather spent fluorescent tubes from close to 4,000 buses and over 2,000 light boxes at bus shelters, as well as from bus depots. Whenever a fluorescent tube is replaced, the packing material of the new tube will be used to wrap the old tube. The spent fluorescent tubes will be stored in a designated area, from which a licensed contractor will regularly collect them for recycling. The contractor will remove mercury from the spent tubes before crushing them into glass granules, allowing the retrieved mercury, glass granules and other metal parts to be reused.

Apart from fluorescent tubes, KMB has also implemented a waste reduction programme in other areas, including the collection for recycling of waste paper, rechargeable batteries and the plastic cartridges used in fax machines and printers.

KMB Recycled 280,000 Fluorescent Tubes