A sum of 9 million HK dollars from the Environment & Conservation Fund has been approved for the first batch of 11 housing estates to undertake on-site treatment of food waste, the Hong Kong authority announced on Wednesday.

Treatment facilities will be installed at the estates by the first quarter of next year.

According to the statement, each facility will turn up to 100kg of source-separated food waste a day into compost that will be used for landscape applications.

The Environmental Protection Department of the Hong Kong government said it will provide help-desk services, including offering technical advice and conducting performance evaluations.

The estates constitute a good mix of characteristics in terms of geographical distribution, age and development types, and property-management companies.

The department said it aims to further extend the scheme after summing up the experience in recovery and treatment of food waste on-site in housing estates.

The estates will also be subsidized to partner with non-governmental organizations to organise associated education and promotion programs for residents, it added.