HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Green Council kicks off its Lean & Green Program for Waste Separation @ Source with the pioneering Waste Footprint Calculator from Netherlands as the official measuring tool today at the City Gallery. Mr Wong Kam-sing, GBS, JP, Secretary for the Environment, Hong Kong SAR, and Mr. Wilfred Mohr, Consul-General of the Netherlands Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macao are attending as officiating guests.
Every day there are nearly 10,000 tons of municipal solid waste generated in Hong Kong. At this rate, all of the city’s existing landfills will be exhausted by 2020. Increasing the awareness and implementation of clean recycling is vital. Since 1 January 2016, all companies listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong are required to comply with the Environmental, Social and Governance Reporting Guide (ESG Guide), in which total greenhouse gas emissions and waste intensity shall be disclosed. Currently, there are no specific carbon calculators that focus on waste separation and recycling measurements.
Green Council, in collaboration with WSS Asia and a Dutch research institute TNO, serves as the implementation body in launching a waste footprint calculator to measure exact carbon emissions through proper separation of waste at source. By collecting the weight of waste that being separated and recycled properly, the calculator can measure the carbon emissions reduced in the progress. The calculator will enable industries, corporations and citizens to measure carbon emissions in a simple and accurate manner. The objectives of the program are to increase the quality, quantity and value of source separated recyclables and ultimately to improve the level of participation in recycling.
The initial stage of this program focuses on corporations that have significant potential to improve their recycling practices, such as land developers, and facility management and property management companies. Green Council will provide training on clean recycling procedures and provide the waste footprint calculator. Participants can then publicize their achievements in annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports to exhibit corporations’ environmental stewardship.
Green Council will launch a pilot program with selected corporations soon before the official launch of the Lean & Green Program. The city-wide launch of the program and the waste footprint calculator is planned for the first quarter of 2017.
About Green Council
The Green Council is a non-profit organisation (Ref no. 91-6063) of Hong Kong. It strives to encourage the industrial and commercial sectors to include environmental protection in their production and management processes. With the concept of “Conservation begins with Education”, Green Council promotes education and training for environmental preservation, green consumerism, management concepts and practices, waste recycling and waste reduction, energy conservation and sustainable development. The main sources of funding for the Green Council are from membership fees, public donations and sponsorships by corporations and individuals who share our vision. Green Council formed since 2000, and it aims to develop environmental protection related projects including Hong Kong Green Label Scheme (HKGLS), Hong Kong Green Purchasing Charter, Hong Kong Green Enterprise Awards, International Coastal Cleanup and Green Carnivals. For more details, please visit Green Council website: www.greencouncil.org.