Club supports glass bottle recycling campaign

20 April 2010

Public concern about Hong Kong's solid wastes problem is growing as the city is running out of landfill space.  The daily disposal of solid wastes includes about 215 tonnes of domestic glass, which is highly recyclable yet is not currently included in many source separation programmes.  Instead, it adds further burden to the landfills.

To promote and encourage public participation in glass bottle recycling, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, through its Charities Trust, has donated HK$4.61 million to Hong Chi Association to launch the Glass Bottle Recycling Campaign.  The three-year campaign will be run with professional advice from the Government's Environmental Protection Department.

Today (20 Apr), Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges joined Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau, Chairman of Hong Chi Association Owen Chan and Campaign Ambassador Louis Cheung to perform the launch ceremony of the campaign.

Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said the Club was delighted to be partnering Hong Chi Association and the Environmental Protection Department in the Glass Bottle Recycling Campaign.  "This campaign will create jobs for some 150 people and at the same time promote social inclusion," he observed.  "Hong Chi will also carry out activities at commercial and community levels, to engage the public and provide them with the convenience of collection boxes in their neighbourhoods."

As the largest single taxpayer in Hong Kong, the Club has contributed some HK$123 billion to public funds through betting duties and taxes over the past ten years, as well as donating a further HK$10 billion to charitable and community projects, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges noted.  With its unique and not-for-profit business model whereby surplus generated through channelling gaming demands to legalised gaming channels goes back into the community, the Club has always attached great importance to the betterment of society.

"In 2008, the Club took an initiative to launch a multi-year city-wide Environmental Project with a donation of HK$350 million, including two demonstration projects for the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course, namely the !¥SolarDrive' golf carts and the soon-to-be-launched solar-powered catamarans with hybrid engines," he said.  "We are also mindful about how we can become more eco-friendly whilst doing business.  Hence, we have developed our own Environment Programme which includes talks, competitions and other activities to engage our staff." 

Initially there will be 14 collection points including those set up in Hong Chi Association's service units across the city and nearby housing areas and shopping malls, and Minden Avenue in Tsim Sha Tsui.  In the second and third phases, the collection points will be extended to cover private housing areas.  Glass bottles will be collected, cleaned, sorted and packed by Hong Chi workers daily, and sent to a factory twice a week to be recycled into environmentally-friendly bricks.

A number of promotional activities and education programmes will also be organised under the campaign in shopping malls, housing estates and schools, to raise awareness of Hong Kong's waste problem and engage the community at large in participating in waste recovery and reduction.  It is believed that the recycling campaign will help relieve the burden on local landfills as well as conserving energy and natural resources.

125th Anniversary of The Hong KongJockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2009/10 season.  Over the past 125 years, it has become one of Hong Kong's best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city's major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects.  It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city's growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.