Hong Kong’s Waste Issue
Known for being one of Asia’s leading economic and financial hubs, Hong Kong soars in its productivity and perpetuating prosperity. Notwithstanding the global pandemic’s repercussions and the dichromatic reactions from the introduction of the National Security Laws, critics have opined that the city’s prominent financial standing may not be shaken.
But behind all this specious numerical and flamboyant success comes an unbearable avalanche of environmental implications and repercussions on the less privileged.
According to a local NGO, The Green Earth, Hong Kong generates 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste daily. The population of nearly 8 million are equal culprits for the roughly 5.2 million plastic bottles thrown to landfills daily. According to the government, 5.67 million tonnes of municipal solid waste was generated in 2019, but only 29% was recycled. The staggering remainder went to landfills. But Hong Kong has already cycled through 13 landfill sites. So what’s next?
Existing NGOs in Hong Kong are actively addressing local environmental issues, by launching the Green Bottle Campaign, clothing upcycling campaigns, workshops and talks in schools.
But who remembers the cardboard grannies muted contributions to our green community? Who is there to help or pay attention to our cardboard grannies who are collectively, yet silently helping with waste reduction?
Together with tackling the pressing societal problem, Hong Kong native Eric Swinton, the founder of V cycle, and his team are taking a hands-on approach in addressing environmental and social issues.
The Story of V Cycle
Built on the principle that environmental consciousness and human compassion are intrinsically linked, social enterprise V Cycle - or Virtuous Cycle in full - takes the extra mile to formulate and implement recycling and sustainability solutions. An equally cardinal and tragic, yet barely discussed phenomenon in Hong Kong lies at the heart of the social enterprises’ initiatives.
Cardboard collectors. Cardboard grannies. These familiar yet ostracized groups ripples heart wrenching sentiments to every Hong Konger’s hearts. With an estimated 2,900 collectors, mainly senior citizens over the age of 60, these ‘street scavengers’ take on the silent responsibility for recycling the city’s vast quantities of plastics and cardboard. But for Miss Wong, a 65 year old cardboard granny, she only receives around HK$41 per day for her underappreciated environmental efforts.
From Green Queen’s interview with Swinton, he explains that cardboard collectors are crucial contributors to Hong Kong’s recycling economy. “They collect about 20% of Hong Kong’s cardboard waste; almost 200 tonnes of cardboard per year...but are neglected and looked down upon.” Together with Unity One Charitable Association, V Cycle is providing relief packs distributions for the elderly waste pickers and street cleaners to combat the effects of Covid-19.
The Virtuous Cycle
As its name suggests, through its social empowerment model, V Cycle strives to integrate disadvantaged social groups through recycling and manufacturing roles in our circular economy model. The social enterprises’ LOVE&CARE initiative strives to engineer solutions to cater for the underprivileged population’s welfare and well-being. “To ensure our work gives back to our community and positively impacts the world around us”. In V Cycle’s steps to collect, process and recycle waste, and particularly in materials sorting, elderly cardboard collectors and adults with disabilities are provided extra income for sorting recyclables under a safe, clean and controlled environment.
Considering how recycling - a somewhat passive response to the environmental issue - cannot solve long-term problems, V Cycle undertakes waste management education with goals to curb the deep-seated problem. Specifically, Covid-19 had further worsened the city’s already worrying environmental complications; with the staggering increase in reliance on plastic utensils, containers and bags. Through Green Ambassadors, the enterprise engages in school workshops to raise awareness to the waste issues within their communities. Upcycling experiences and education stations are also set up to help the general public identify and recycle the different types of plastic.
Sustainable Products
After the recyclables are collected, they go through a factory process and ultimately are reborn as raw material ready to be used for creating new products. After taking apart and sorting the baled materials for the plastic recyclables, the plastics are shredded and washed to separate its contaminants. They are then melted and extruded into strands to be cooled in cold water, chopped into small pellets and fed back into the circular economy to manufacture new products. Businesses such as the fashion label Chocoolate and Watsons Water have recently collaborated with V Cycle in creating an environmentally friendly line of products, including windbreakers and tote bags.
Such a production model with environmental protection and sustainability is not unfamiliar for Taiwanese as well. Large companies including Nike have also introduced environmentally-friendly sneakers made from recycled materials in response to future trends.
Focusing On Minority Population For Promoting Circular Economy!
Tackling environmental issues is never one man’s job. Locally in Hong Kong, our green community is inaudibly led by the cardboard grannies and cardboard collectors. The trolleys they push throughout the streets and alleyways of Hong Kong symbolise certain aspects of the slow, but progressive motion of the city’s environmental approach. On a global outlook, companies, schools and individuals ranging from a smorgasbord of fields have taken initiative in combating the environmental issues.
Applying the recycling and sustainability concepts taken from V Cycle’s objectives, we are each and individually key playmakers to the change. It is by paying attention to the neglected groups in society that they try to change the public’s stereotypes, and expand the scope of influence of the circular economy to enterprises, schools and society…...etc in the process of change.
Take other organizations for example, Upcyco recycle leather waste to make products like leather wallets. Moreover, they provide job opportunities for women, especially those mothers who want to work but have to take care of their children at the same time. Flexible working hours can provide these women extra income to support their families.
In recent years, there have also been cases of cross-border cooperation. The Department of Sociology of the University of Hong Kong has cooperated with the Philippine Embassy and the media in a series of fashion exhibitions. All the clothes are made from recycled materials, including coffee coffee sachets, plastic bags, candy packaging, and straws. The designer, Elpie, a migrant worker from the Philippines without any formal training, hopes to show the different appearance of migrant workers to the public and change everyone's perception of fashion.
In addition to promoting circular economy and environmental protection, these organizations also speak out for the neglected groups and give further social influence to environmental issues. After all, these groups are an indispensable part of the operation of this financial city.
Next time you walk past the coloured waste recycling bins, instead of throwing waste paper into a regular garbage bin for instance, toss them into the brown recycling bin. Or when you see second hand clothing recycling stations, come back the next day with your unwanted clothing donations. Or, it may be as simple as tossing your plastic bottle in one of the recycling bins - just the way cardboard collectors are helping us.
Author
Karen Yee
Juggling between academic endeavours in the competitive field of law and music freelancing, I find myself to be curious and constantly searching for reasons and answers in this bustling city. As a striving individual, I believe diversity and inclusion is key to creating a harmonious community, and through my work, I hope to bring forward the voices otherwise unheard.
*For the Chinese version please check: 香港「紙板奶奶」：被社會遺忘的他們，卻是循環經濟的重要貢獻者！
執行編輯：吳玲臻
核稿編輯：林欣蘋
