HONG KONG: By the end of 2011, the public will be obliged to illuminate homes with more environmentally-friendly bulbs, after the government announced it will subsidize the phase-out of incandescent light bulbs.

In his comprehensive policy address, including discussion of environmental issues, ranging over electric cars, electric bulbs, green spaces, waste disposal, LNG (liquefied natural gas) and air quality, Chief Executive Donald Tsang outlined government plans to phase out inefficient incandescent bulbs.

As part of the plan, each household will receive a HK$100 cash coupon along with an electricity bill from the two power companies from February next year. Holders can redeem these coupons for compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) at registered retailers until December 31, 2011. The coupon can be exchanged for two to four CFLs.

A CFL can be four times more expensive than an incandescent light bulb, but it consumes 70 percent less electricity.

It is estimated that a single 13-watt CFL bulb replacing an incandescent 60-watt bulb will save 470 kilowatt hours of energy over its projected lifetime of 10,000 hours.

"The scheme can not only benefit the households financially, but also encourage them to reduce or even stop using incandescent light bulbs," a government source said.

In addition, the government plans to consult the public on progressive restriction on the sales of incandescent light bulbs early next year.

Leung Lai-ka, a housewife who lives with her husband and daughter in a public housing estate, welcomed the distribution of cash coupons for CFLs to residential electricity account holders.

"It doesn't save that much on my electricity bill because I already use CFLs at home, but it's good to get a few free light bulbs," Leung noted. "It'll also encourage those who're still using incandescent light bulbs to switch, like my elderly parents."

Meanwhile, on another environmental front, the government pledged to reduce food and solid waste by inviting schools to adopt centralized and standardized portioning of student lunches.

Only 70 schools among more than a thousand are taking this approach at the moment, resulting in about 270,000 lunch boxes and 100 tons of food being dumped every day.

The Environment and Conservation Fund will provide a total of HK$50 million to subsidize about 40 schools to install necessary equipment.

The food wastes will be processed into compost and biogas in a recycling center to be constructed in stages at Siu Ho Wan on Lantau Island. The first phase is expected to commence operation in five years.

Lam Kin-che, geography and resource management professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, supported the government effort to inculcate environmental protection awareness in students from an early age.

"Waste disposal in Hong Kong has been enormous over the past years. Increasing public awareness of environmental protection, especially from childhood, is crucial to the future of Hong Kong," said Lam.

(HK Edition 10/15/2009 page1)