【明報專訊】Hong Kong's only drinks carton recycler Mil Mill's lease for its factory at Yuen Long INNOPARK will expire at year end. The recycler and the landlord, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), have different versions of the story regarding whether there was a verbal agreement that "the plot of land can be leased for six years". The government's efforts to help find a new site for the factory to relocate to has also achieved zero breakthroughs so far. On the surface, the incident appears to be a dispute and struggle between the recycler and HKSTP. However, the problem actually lies in the lack of a comprehensive waste reduction policy by the government and the lack of communication between departments due to rigid bureaucracy. The expiry of Mil Mill's lease is not unpredictable. Had the government followed up on the matter early enough, the situation might not be like this. To avoid the lose-lose situation of a fallout between the two, the government and the recycler should show their sincerity and seize the time to seek a compromise. It is a global trend to pursue a "circular economy". If Hong Kong does not want to be surrounded by waste, the government must put more efforts into waste recycling, including establishing a concrete set of key performance indicators (KPI) and instructing the departments concerned to not engage in empty talks about blueprints, as fine words butter no parsnips.