HKJC organises seconda£á?Green Daya£á?at Off-Course Betting Branches in support of Earth Day and to promote waste reduction and recycling

04/22/2015

From embedding green values into its corporate operations to engaging the community in pursuing an environmental-friendly lifestyle, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has long been committed to promoting sustainability in our society. This includes the Club’s 102 Off-Course Betting Branches (OCBBs), which are working to incorporate energy-saving and carbon-less initiatives into their daily operations. They are also seeking to reach out to the public to promote waste paper reduction and recycling. And in support of this, and of Earth Day, today (Wednesday, 22 April) the Club organised its second “Green Day” at 60 participating OCCBs.

The Club’s first “Green Day” was organised at 30 OCBBs in November 2013 to help address Hong Kong’s waste paper problem, which sees as much as 1800 tonnes of waste paper being disposed of daily into landfills. Encouragingly the Club’s 102 OCCBs are now recycling large quantities of their waste paper, with 347 tonnes being recycled in 2014.  

Today’s “Green Day”, saw the Club’s green ambassadors explaining the environmental impact of waste generation in Hong Kong to customers visiting the 60 OCBBs (double the number of OCBBs participating in the first ‘Green Day” in 2013). Customers were also encouraged to take part in green quizzes with a view to educating them about ways to reduce paper usage and recycle after use. For example, in OCCBs, electronic betting helps reduce waste paper at source; used tickets and newspapers should be placed into recycling bins. Gifts were also given out as an incentive to customers pledging to practice waste reduction and recycling in their daily lives.    

The kick-off ceremony for “Green Day” took place at the Stanley Street OCBB in Central today, with Mr. Gilbert Cheng, Head of Retail at the Club, Mr. Elvis Au, Assistant Director of Environmental Protection Department and Mr. Angus Ho, Executive Director of Greeners Action officiating. Celebrity Kandy also joined and shared her insights on waste reduction and recycling.

 “The ‘Green Day’ event was first organised in late 2013 and was well-received by the public. We collected almost 1,500 signatures from the public who pledged to support waste reduction, separation at source and recycling.  I can expect that, with the enhancement of recycling facilities in OCBBs, the ‘Green Day’ event this year will have an even higher participation rate that may reach almost 5,000 people.” said Gilbert Cheng.

Elvis Au, Assistant Director of the Environmental Protection Department said in his speech, “The Government is seeking to promote waste reduction and the sustainable re-use of waste. We are pleased to see the second ‘Green Day’ event organised by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in support of Earth Day. Its theme of waste paper reduction is relevant to all of us. We all use paper every day, so every tonne of paper we can reduce will save seventeen trees. ”
Angus Ho, Executive Director of Greeners Action provided professional advice for the planning of the “Green Day” event. “The widespread community network of OCBBs can play a crucial role in advancing environmental protection in the local community. During the Chinese New Year, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has rendered full support and committment for our ‘Red Packets Recycle and Reuse Programme’, in which 350 thousands used red packets were distributed to public at60 OCBBs and the Club was awarded the ‘Reuse of Reborn Lai See Packets Awards’. We hope both of us can have further collaboration in future in a bid to instill into the community a green culture.”

The recycling facilities at OCBBs have also been enhanced starting from today’s “Green Day”. Additional waste paper recycling bins have been placed in OCBBs to facilitate proper disposal of newspapers, magazines and other types of paper. Furthermore, to cater for different needs, recycling bins with different designs have been installed in various areas of OCBBs such as the betting halls and near the self-render terminals. 

In addition to promoting environmental protection amongst customers, OCBBs have also been adopting energy-saving and carbon-less principles into their daily operations. These include gradual deployment of energy-efficient LED lighting and automated timers which help reduce the operating hours of shopfront lighting. Since the commencement of this measure in 2011, the accumulated electricity saving has been1.57 million kWh. In addition, more efficient air-conditioning devices have been installed to improve temperature and energy control. For example, the air-conditioning system will cut out automatically if outdoor temperatures fall below 20a??.  These measures have been very successful in reducing energy consumption. In 2013-14, the total carbon emissions of OCBBs were reduced by 865 tonnes, equivalent to the carbon absorption of 37,600 trees in one year.

Promoting sustainability in the community relies on long-term effort and commitment. The Club will continue to convey green messages to the public through all 102 OCBBs. It will also join hands with community partners and green groups to put forward environmental initiatives in support of the Club’s on-going green mission.