GPP Academy – Navigating the Future of Waste Management

Are you ready for Hong Kong's transition towards a circular economy? Discover how GPP’s recent knowledge-sharing event actively helped businesses prepare.

Amidst recent public discussions on waste management, Swire Properties' GPP Academy hosted a timely workshop in April to prepare tenants to take meaningful steps to reduce waste, recycle more and support the city’s transition towards a circular economy. Top of Form

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Titled 'Global Landscape, Emerging Legislation, and Best Practices on Waste Reduction and Circularity,' the event gathered a diverse mix of tenants keen to navigate the evolving waste management landscape in Hong Kong and around the region.

Laying the Groundwork: Goals from Hong Kong's Waste Blueprint

The session kicked off with an insightful presentation by Norman Cheng, Business Development Director at Veolia Hong Kong, one of the GPP tenants. Norman outlined the goals set forth in Hong Kong's Waste Blueprint for 2035 – to reduce per capita municipal solid waste (MSW) by 40-45% and increase the resource recovery rate to about 55% in the medium term, while striving towards zero waste to landfill. 

The blueprint’s success, as Norman noted, will require a combination of measures. Examples include the implementation of producer responsibility schemes pertaining to waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), encouragement of recycling through organisations like the Green@Community network, and support of waste recycling facilities like T Park, Y Park and O Park. 

The presentation drew parallels with case studies from South Korea, Taipei, Europe and Japan, where waste charging schemes, supplemented by extensive public education and training, have shown successful outcomes and provided impetus for waste separation and recycling.

Collaborative Strategies: Insights from the Expert Panel on Waste Reduction

Following the presentation, a panel discussion took place, moderated by Samantha Kong from Business Environment Council. Panellists from ISS Hong Kong, Muuse, Spare-It and Swire Properties discussed practical strategies for reducing and recycling office waste, underscoring the necessity of collaboration to meet collective zero waste to landfill targets.

Key insights:

• Knowledge is Power: Understanding the source and volume of waste enables companies to devise precise reduction strategies.
• Employee Empowerment: It's critical for employees to feel actively involved in the company’s waste reduction journey and understand how they can take action on a daily basis.
• A Mindset Shift: Overcoming Hong Kong's default preference for convenience and cost requires cultivating a communal sense of responsibility and highlighting the personal and collective benefits of waste reduction.
• Follow the Four Es: To effectively change behaviours, the focus should be on enabling, engaging and educating colleagues and partners. These efforts will only be successful if companies exemplify these behaviours by 'walking the talk'.

Operational Initiatives: GPP’s Practical Steps Towards Enhanced Waste Management

To support waste management efforts, Swire Properties has launched various programmes and initiatives to enhance office waste management. These include facilitating the collection of over 20 different recyclables, offering programmes to digitalise waste data, increasing the availability of and incentives for reusables and gamifying waste diversion efforts to encourage friendly competition through ratings and awards.

The event concluded on a note of optimism, with attendees encouraged to leverage the GPP platform for ongoing support in their sustainability journeys. Resources to assist tenants are abundant, and with GPP’s commitment to fostering connections and knowledge-sharing, tenants are well-equipped to navigate the evolving waste landscape and collaborate effectively with stakeholders for a more sustainable future. 

We invite you to unite in our efforts, innovate practices and lead the charge towards effective and meaningful waste management strategies.

The GPP is our flagship programme towards achieving our SD 2030 Strategy and longstanding commitment to fighting climate change, in joint efforts with our office tenants in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. Learn more about the programme on the GPP Website.