Hongkong Electric and Green Power Partner to Encourage Waste Reduction [19 September 2005]
Hongkong Electric volunteers helping to
clean up the Aberdeen Country Park
after Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.
Mr. Keith K.K. Kwok, Permanent Secretary
for the Environment, Transport and Works
(Environment), cleaning up candle waste at
a barbecue site.
Officiating guests trimming the size of
rubbish collected to encourage waste
reduction throughout Hong Kong.
Mr. K.K. Kwok, Mr. Gary Chang and HEC
volunteers hand over the cleaning firebrand
to representatives from schools, kicking off
the “Reduce Waste on Campus” Campaign.
HEC volunteers remove a total of 51.2 kg
of wastes from the Aberdeen Country Park.
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Hongkong Electric volunteers helping to
clean up the Aberdeen Country Park
after Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.
Mr. Keith K.K. Kwok, Permanent Secretary
for the Environment, Transport and Works
(Environment), cleaning up candle waste at
a barbecue site.
Officiating guests trimming the size of
rubbish collected to encourage waste
reduction throughout Hong Kong.
Mr. K.K. Kwok, Mr. Gary Chang and HEC
volunteers hand over the cleaning firebrand
to representatives from schools, kicking off
the “Reduce Waste on Campus” Campaign.
HEC volunteers remove a total of 51.2 kg
of wastes from the Aberdeen Country Park.
|
“Let’s reduce waste” is the appeal made together by Hongkong Electric (HEC) and environmental group Green Power as they held “The 13th Clean Up the World in Hong Kong” today at Aberdeen Country Park, where more than one hundred HEC staff volunteered to help clean up part of the park after Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.
Also launched at the occasion was the territory-wide “Reduce Waste on Campus” Campaign inviting all students to waste less themselves, while passing on the message to their friends and families, so as to help reduce waste throughout the city.
Guests who were present last year – Mr. Keith K.K. Kwok, Permanent Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works (Environment), Ms. Audrey Eu, Legislative Councillor, and Mr. Gary Chang, HEC’s General Manager (Management Services) – were invited to return this year to review the littering problem after the festival. They also joined the clean-up action and helped kick off the “Reduce Waste on Campus” Campaign.
The amount of waste collected at Aberdeen Country Park today was:
|
Waste paper |
Aluminum cans |
Plastic bottles |
Other refuse |
| 2004 |
6.15kg |
6.36 kg |
4.32 kg |
21.82 kg |
| 2005 |
9 kg |
0.7 kg |
4.5 kg |
37 kg |
Mr. Keith Kwok and Ms. Audrey Eu were both pleased to attend the activity, which called for the community to pay attention to public hygiene. Ms. Eu, however, regretted that the wish she made last year – “Hopefully, there is no need for me to come to any clean-up activity next year” – had yet to be realized.
Mr. Gary Chang noted that this was the 10th consecutive year for HEC to support this meaningful event reminding people to keep the environment clean. "We understand that education is a long-term exercise and should ideally begin as early as possible. We are excited to join hands with Green Power in organizing the ‘Reduce Waste on Campus’ Campaign to bring the message to schools, home and throughout Hong Kong.”
Capitalizing on the hot topic of “slimming”, the Campaign is open to all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong between 26 September and 21 October, 2005. The school that reduces the largest amount of waste will be crowned “The Super Clean School” and win a “Chinese White Dolphins Eco-tour” organized by Green Power.
According to Green Power’s preliminary studies, local secondary and primary schools produce an average of 229 and 63.2 kg of waste respectively every day. Schools interested in joining are welcome to visit Green Power’s website (www.greenpower.org.hk) or call 2314 2662 for enquiries.