In Hong Kong, Printing Industry is the largest manufacturing industry in Hong Kong in terms of the number if establishments, with a total of 4,262 manufacturing establishments as of September 2005. Most of them are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) employing less than 10 workers in Hong Kong.

The environmental characteristics of Printing Industry include:

• It generates significant amount of liquid solvent wastes and rags after the cleaning processes.
• The solvent-based processes generate VOC emissions.
• Use of significant amount of energy

On the other hand, there are only a total of 304 packaging materials manufacturing establishments in Hong Kong as of September 2004. Many Hong Kong manufacturers have relocated their production to the mainland, considering the lower operation costs and proximity to the market.

The Packaging Industry generates much paper and plastics wastes during the manufacturing operation and there are VOC emissions when using adhesive.

(Source: Hong Kong Trade Development Council & Trade and Industry Department)

Challenges for SMEs

Owing to regulatory requirements which are becoming more stringent, Printing & Packaging manufacturers are required to mould their materials to meeting higher environmental standards, so that their customers can meet the environmental standards in the respective countries where their products are sold.

However, SME manufacturers face a number of barriers during the course of looking for self-improvement and becoming a green and responsible industrialist. The main barriers for SME in improving their environmental performance are:

• Ability in adopting the right cleaner production concepts in production process
• Know-how in eco-product design
• Identifying a cost-effective pollution control technology
• Understanding the local and global legal requirements in environmental protection
• Proper ways in responding global environmental supply chain pressures
• Strategic planning for long-term environmental improvement
• Constraints from capital and human resources

Want to know more about the Key Environmental Issues of Printing & Packaging Industry? Go to the section of Key Environmental Issues.