They suggested that the government include specific clauses in funding application forms to cover waste reduction and promote recycling at mega events.
“Waste reduction concerns every aspect of society,” said Tom Ng Hon-lam, a campaigner with international environmental group Greenpeace.
“When the government is paying so much attention to mega events, it shouldn’t omit green initiatives in such activities.”
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said last month that more than 210 mega events lined up for this year were expected to bring in about 1.7 million visitors, contributing HK$4.3 billion (US$550.7 million) to the local economy.
They include the ComplexCon pop culture event held in March, the S2O Hong Kong Songkran Music Festival earlier this month and October’s Wine and Dine Festival.
Each major event can receive up to HK$15 million in government support from a dedicated fund overseen by a nine-member committee.
Two events that received the maximum support were ComplexCon and Art Basel, held at AsiaWorld-Expo and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre respectively. A five-day event in May that gave away free ice cream received about HK$967,000.
A check of the government website showed that the online application form for funding makes no mention of waste and carbon reduction.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau confirmed there was no such requirement, and its spokesman did not say whether the committee overseeing the fund would add green initiatives.
A committee member told the Post it had never formally discussed including environmental obligations to the assessment criteria.
Some big events have been mindful about waste and recycling.
Organisers of the Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships on June 10 teamed up with environmental group The Green Earth to set up five booths to collect recyclable trash such as plastic bottles, cans and drink cartons.
Thomas Chan Ting-hin, the NGO’s environmental affairs officer, said it collected 108.5kg (239lbs) of plastic bottles, 76kg of cans, 146kg of glass bottles and 3kg of drink cartons.
He said that adding requirements for mega events would be a “win-win situation” to raise awareness and reduce waste.
Chan said Hong Kong had not promoted the idea of “zero-waste events” and as a result, piles of trash were seen after many outdoor events.
“I don’t want everyone to think it is all right to leave behind loads of waste overflowing from garbage bins. It is necessary for the government to improve this image,” he added.
He said at least half the trash from a sports event with a crowd of 10,000 could be recovered if recycling facilities were available.
If the authorities made it a requirement to clean up and recycle, he added, more organisers would offer recycling services.
The Environmental Protection Department said it published a guidebook in 2018 to tell event organisers about reducing waste.
A spokesman said organisers could refer to it and learn what they could do before, during and after an event. Among other things, it suggests minimising the use of unnecessary materials, avoiding single-use products and recycling waste whenever possible.
The spokesman added that the department had been in close contact with the Tourism Board and other event organisers, “providing useful advice and green tips”.
The Tourism Board said it had introduced a number of green policies for its mega events, including offering bottle fillers and recycling bins, adopting e-tickets and partnering with non-profit organisations to collect used glass bottles.
Sustainability practices were also a consideration in evaluating service providers for mega events, including logistics, catering and sanitation, a spokesman added.
Roy Ng Hei-man, a campaign officer for the Conservancy Association, said the group recycled more than 3.8 tonnes of trash from the Hong Kong Marathon in January, including 1.2 tonnes of drink cartons and paper cups, 1.7 tonnes of banana peel and 200kg of plastic bottles.
He said the types of waste expected at big events, such as plastic bottles and food scraps, made them easier to handle once properly sorted and cleaned.
He advised event organisers to liaise early with partners responsible for waste recycling, and set up recycling zones and bins.
“A green image can be a way to build up a good impression of Hong Kong internationally,” he added.
via The Novum Times
The Novum Times 