The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department held the Country Parks Waste Reduction Day at Tai Hung Tun in Clear Water Bay today to start the Country Parks Waste Reduction Campaign.
The public education programme will encourage people to reduce waste at source, such as by using fewer disposable items and more reusable ones, to protect the environment.
Officiating at the launch ceremony, Secretary for the Environment KS Wong noted that about 10 tonnes of plastic, equal to 500,000 disposable plastic bottles, has been collected from country parks in the past year. However, he said cleaning up garbage in country parks and collecting recyclables is not an easy task due to their remote locations and vast area.
"Given there are more than 11 million visitors to country parks every year, I call on every visitor to use less and waste less, and avoid leaving trash in country parks," Mr Wong said.
He urged the public to prepare supplies for country park visits, such as having adequate drinking water, in reusable containers.
Campers and people barbecuing should prepare reusable utensils and avoid carrying too much food. When they leave, they should take away garbage for disposal at rubbish collection points and recycling bins as appropriate, and put cleaned recyclables into recycling bins.
"The Environment Bureau released the 10-year Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources in 2013 to encourage the entire community to reduce waste by social mobilisation. The Country Parks Waste Reduction Campaign will tie in with our blueprint to achieve our vision on waste reduction. The department is also one of the members under the Government's Working Group on Clean Shorelines to enhance public awareness of keeping coastal areas clean through public promotion and educational activities," Mr Wong said.
The department's Country Parks Nature Ambassadors and Civil Aid Service cadets will give green tips to visitors at hiking trails, picnic sites and barbecue sites on weekends and public holidays until March.
Visitors who show their reusable water bottles can collect stamps from the ambassadors. A variety of souvenirs are available for redemption depending on the number of stamps collected.
On Sundays and public holidays, game stalls will be set up at the Lions Nature Education Centre, the Shing Mun Country Park Visitor Centre and the Woodside Biodiversity Education Centre.
The public can learn about the importance of waste reduction to the environment and wildlife. In addition, roving exhibitions are being held at shopping malls.
Click here for details.
