Letter | 6 Green Ideas for Hong Kong's CEO

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To revive the vibrancy of our city that we once prided ourselves on, the government must adopt a holistic approach to sustainability. It must allocate more resources to protect the environment, promote better livelihoods for residents, attract foreign investment, create new and green job opportunities and increase government revenues.

I would like to make some recommendations to the CEO John Lee Ka-chiuthird policy address. The city has an emergency waste problem. However, incineration is considered a less effective means of tackling the problem than waste reduction, and as a method of generating electricity it is more carbon intensive than a conventional power station. The administration should strengthen public information to make waste reduction the new normal instead of being heavily dependent on incineration.

Disposable products should be eliminated as far as possible to avoid generating huge amounts of waste. To take single-use plastic drink containers as an example, setting the mandatory initial recycling target of 70 percent will strengthen the development of the local recycling industry, create more green jobs and save both resources and landfill.

The administration should be relaunched waste collection in 2025, as it is a proven waste management tool. Officials should take the lead in showing how the scheme can be implemented seamlessly in government premises to achieve meaningful waste reduction, which would surely win public support.

Decarbonising our buildings should be a top priority as around 60 per cent of our carbon emissions come from their energy use. Buildings should be mandated to disclose their energy efficiency index. No real estate developer should want to attract public attention with low grades.

As Lee envisages Hong Kong becoming a super hub for international shipping and aviation, he should not forget to set targets for sustainable jet fuel and green methanol to maintain the city’s competitive edge. Establishing a local blending facility for sustainable aviation fuels will drive our economy forward in an environmentally friendly way.

When it comes to sustainable development, the preservation of ecosystems such as oceans and wetlands is a Chinese national policy priority. Therefore, it destroys an estimated 248 hectares of wetlands and buffer zones too San Tin Technopole project in Hong Kong is incompatible with the direction the country is going in. Why is the Lee administration going against President Xi Jinping’s thoughts on ecological civilization?

Edwin Lau Che-feng, CEO, The Green Earth

Lack of bins not a good idea

Why have trash cans been removed from the streets in many areas of Hong Kong? Is it meant to encourage people to take their rubbish home? Nice chance. The result has been more litter in many places, making Hong Kong seem a bit dirty to an outsider.

David Turnbull, Pok Fu Lam

Let’s get started on phasing out plastic

The White House has announced a plan to cut plastic consumption in the United States. Hong Kong must follow suit to ease the city’s plastic problem.

Today, many retailers overpackage products. According to a study by Clouder, 40 percent of online customers receive deliveries with packaging that is too large for what they ordered. Supermarket items are often wrapped in multiple layers of plastic, which is bulky and wasteful.

If we do not address packaging and other waste in Hong Kong, our landfills may soon reach capacity. Furthermore, the use of single-use plastic items leads directly to plastic pollution.

Although using plastic is convenient, much of it cannot be easily recycled. Single-use plastics are more likely to be disposed of quickly. Plastic waste often ends up in the sea and harms marine life.

We can all decide to avoid gift wrapping to ease the problem of overpacking. A few months ago, restaurants were banned from offering diners and takeaway customers disposable straws, stirrers, cutlery and plastic plates. This was a good move. Bringing your own box is one way to solve the waste problem.

The government should support a market for substitutes that are recyclable, compostable or easily recyclable. It should also make laws to limit the use of disposable products and stop overpacking of products. Finally, remember the three R’s: reuse, reduce and recycle. Let’s save the planet together.

Amen Wah, Tseung Kwan O