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The Hong Kong Cleanup 2015 Report

Hong Kong Cleanup | +852 2868 5585 | HKcleanup.org | Ecozine.com Room 107, Kai Wong Commercial Bldg, 222 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong

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Table of Contents  

A Word From Our Goodwill Ambassadors 3  Executive Summary 4  The 2015 Hong Kong Cleanup 6  

Introduction 6  The Issue of Trash: A Global Perspective 8  The Issue of Trash: A Local Perspective 10  The Situation: Coastal Regions 12  The Situation: Country Parks 13  The Situation: Urban Areas 14  A Year-Round Campaign 15  On-Ground Events 16  Coastal Watch Program 16  Face of Litter Campaign 17  Zero Waste Week 18  Connecting With the World 20  The 2015 Challenges 21  Timeline 22  How It Works 23  Kickoff Cleanup 24  Free Public Eco Education Seminars 24  Materials 25  Official Hong Kong Cleanup Merchandise 26  Data Collection 27  Media and Outreach 28  The 15th Annual Hong Kong Cleanup Awards Ceremony + Press Conference 32  Key Partners 34  Media Partners 36  Global Partners 36  Local Partners 37  Event Partners 37  Government and NGO Cooperation 37  

2015 Results and Findings 38  Team Highlights 38  Coastal Cleanup Challenge Results 40  City Cleanup Challenge Results 41  Country Cleanup Challenge Results 41  Hong Kong Cleanup Overall Findings 42  Recommendations 44  

Appendix 1: Team Participation 49  Appendix 2: 2015 Challenge Winners 55  

1. Country and City Cleanup Challenge 55  2. Coastal Cleanup Challenge 56  

Appendix 3: Acknowledgments 57  Appendix 4: Sources 58  

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A Word From Our Goodwill Ambassadors

People around the world, in association with great organizations both big and small, are cleaning up our oceans one piece of trash at a time. But we can’t rely on these wonderful groups to do all of the work. The solutions are not only about reacting to the problem. We need prevention. And I hope you’ll start today. Because an individual action, multiplied by millions, creates global change. Together, we can clean up our ocean…for our children, and their children. - Jack Johnson, Singer

"The Hong Kong Cleanup is a great showcase of Hong Kong’s strong spirit of community and collaboration, and what a positive effect it has on the environment when we all work together. I’m so excited to be a part of such an important movement and am proud of the amazing achievements of this year’s community actions – over 4.6 million kg of trash removed from our environment, wow! Well done on your highly successful 15th year!" - Daniel Wu, actor and director

“I am so happy to see the increasing number of corporations, schools, NGOs, government departments and community groups who are standing up for our environment and getting hands-on about it, through activities like beach and trail cleanups. With over 75,000 people taking an active role in cleaning up Hong Kong this year, I am confident that awareness about the importance of waste reduction will continue to spread. Thank you to all those who volunteered this year, and to Hong Kong Cleanup for making it possible. This kind of initiative gives me hope for the future!” - Lisa Selesner-Wu, TV presenter, model

“We are proud to be ambassadors for the Hong Kong Cleanup, it’s a cause close to our hearts as nature lovers. This year we were thrilled to take part in a Country Cleanup Challenge, as well as help present the 2015 awards to winning volunteer teams. The best thing about presenting the awards was seeing how motivated the teams were to tackle the issue of marine debris and inspire other members of their organizations to do the same. We love being a part of something that engages our community and makes a tangible difference to environment." - Jocelyn and Anthony Sandstrom, Actors, models

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Executive Summary The 2015 Hong Kong Cleanup, organized by Ecozine together with our co-organizer and charity partner, The Nature Conservancy, was a success by all counts. With enthusiastic sponsors and media partners, plus a highly visible public campaign, it’s no surprise that the Hong Kong Cleanup had a record-breaking 15th year. Due to the overwhelming response this year, we extended the challenge season to 12 weeks. This truly is the region’s largest environmental hands-on initiative, and a vital and well-loved part of the Hong Kong event landscape. The Hong Kong Cleanup team works year-round on promoting education, awareness and action. We organised and attended a wide range of environmental events this year to ensure regular touch-points with the Hong Kong community and maximise our engagement capacity. During the 2015 Cleanup Challenge period, 75,623 people cleaned up 4,616,067 kg of trash from 2,447 km of shorelines, country park trails and city streets – representing an increase in participation of 48% over 2014.

This year we celebrated our continuing partnership with The Nature Conservancy, a leading global conservation organization with a 14-year presence in Hong Kong and 600 scientists globally, as the official Co-organizer. We were also grateful to receive ongoing support from our committed sponsors including Nomura, Clarins, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, among other supporting partners. In addition to the Cleanup Challenge, this year saw the launch of some exciting new initiatives. In addition to producing a globally successful anti-littering campaign for Earth Day, Ecozine and the Hong Kong Cleanup organised the first annual Zero Waste Week in June, involving numerous on-ground events and a successful citywide pledge campaign that engaged thousands. We are excited to be taking such steps, as they form a natural progression from Hong Kong Cleanup’s existing activities toward more source-reduction-based solutions. Confirming the importance of reducing our waste footprint, a significant new study this year showed that of the 192 countries that border the ocean, China – including Hong Kong – was ranked number 1 in terms of mismanaged plastic waste. And the problem isn’t going away; over the years, Hong Kong people have become more, not less, wasteful. In the past 30 years, our municipal solid waste increased by nearly 80% while our population grew by 36% – meaning that there are not only more people throwing things away, but each of us is throwing away 30% more than we did 30 years ago. Other research has shown plastic can be found not just in our landfills, streets and hiking trails but in the most remote, untouched natural places, inside the stomachs of our wildlife – and even in our bloodstream, affecting our health in ways only being studied now. The vast quantity of trash produced in Hong Kong, together with the limited land available for waste infrastructure, namely landfills, means we are now facing a serious trash crisis. Our three remaining landfills are almost at capacity with the South East New Territories (SENT) Landfill now only accepting construction waste and the other two estimated to be full by 2017 and 2019 respectively.

2015 LOCAL TOTALS: 75,623 people | 4,616,067 kg | 2,447 km

GLOBAL PARTICIPATION: 50,135,623 people | 130 countries

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Contributing to our success this year were over 30 media partners and organizations, who helped in promoting the Cleanup’s key messages and inviting community participation, as well as acknowledging our wonderful sponsors and partners. Our long-term relationships with the government and other NGOs increased in strength, and celebrity support from our goodwill ambassadors also helped to drive greater awareness and action. During the Challenge, the Hong Kong Cleanup held regular well-attended free education seminars, and at the end of the season all teams were invited to join the 15th Annual Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge Awards, announcing the data results and recognizing the winning teams in various categories such as Best Team Spirit, Most Trash Collected and Weirdest Item Found. Notable winners included Standard Chartered Bak, Nomura, TNC, and The Green Race, all in the Most Trash category. Data collected by volunteers indicated that tiny pieces of foam were the most prevalent debris (26% of total trash collected), following closely by other fragments of plastic and glass and a vast number of plastic disposable water bottles and their caps (16.1% of total trash collected). The majority of debris found was of a disposable type, and came from land-based usage. Polystyrene in all forms, from industrial, to food packaging, to broken pieces and tiny fragments, dominates the coastal landscape in particular. The volume of all waste collected was astonishing for a geographic coverage, and time period that was, by and large, a fraction of reality. This, and other data both statistic and anecdotal, refutes a recent government statement that marine debris is not a concern. Working together was a main theme of the 2016 HKC campaign, and this was reflected in our ongoing cooperation with a number of groups through initiatives such as Coastal Watch with WWF and others, and the Clean Shorelines Working Group, a government-led initative with NGO partnership. In terms of government recommendations, while we are pleased to see that the government is working towards their sustainability goals outlined in their Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-2022, we recommend further action in terms of increased cleaning efforts, swift introduction of waste charging, better education and recycling infrastructure, and adoption of stronger legislation, taking reference from other countries and cities, such as bans or restrictions on polystyrene, plastic microbeads, disposable water bottles and plastic bags. We also encourage corporation and individuals to take action, and will continue to work with all sectors to create the change that is needed to resolve this issue.

A “before” and “after” photo from a beach cleanup at Hong Kong Island’s now-infamous “Lap Sap Wan’, highlighting the severity of the marine debris situation and the effectiveness of teamwork.

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The 2015 Hong Kong Cleanup Introduction The Hong Kong Cleanup is a 15-year strong community-based environmental campaign organized by Ecozine, together with charity partner, The Nature Conservancy (TNC). It focuses on action and awareness, mobilizing citizens to protect the environment through the 4 R’s: rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle. The campaign brings together businesses, community groups, schools, government and individuals in a range of educational activities and clean up programmes. Together with our partners at TNC, we are committed to promoting the importance of protecting nature and building a sustainable future for Hong Kong. Launched in 2000, the Hong Kong Cleanup has evolved over the years to become a well-loved event and a household name, growing from just 50 volunteers the first year to over 75,000 participants this past season! The record-breaking 2015 Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge proved to be an eye-opening campaign for many, leaving participants more determined than ever to tackle the pressing environmental issue of trash at both a local and global level. Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge participants are engaged in first-hand learning about the human-created problems of land-based litter, plastic pollution, habitat destruction and toxic debris and discover that the solutions are within their grasp. With year-round education campaigns and community cleanups, a primary aim is to provide businesses, students, the wider community and policymakers with a better understanding of the problems associated with littering, overconsumption and waste as well as to encourage public-private partnerships aimed at finding and employing sustainable solutions.

Cleanup volunteers have their work cut out for them at some of Hong Kong’s non-gazetted beaches

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The 2015 Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge incorporated three types of team challenges: the 15-year established Coastal Cleanup, focused on beaches and coastal areas; the Country Cleanup targeting country parks and hiking trails, and the City Cleanup carried out in homes, schools, offices and city streets. Building on a successful background, 2015 was a record year in terms of outreach, marketing, PR, volunteer participation, research and awareness. The Hong Kong Cleanup is part of a much larger global initiative, as the official Hong Kong coordinator for Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup and the Let’s Do It! World Cleanup, which together comprise tens of millions of volunteers representing the fastest-growing civic movement on earth. As such, the Hong Kong Cleanup shares data, best practise, and key learnings with other coordinators the world over, helping to drive change globally. Ecozine is proud to provide this world-class community environmental event for Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Cleanup’s mission is threefold:

1. To empower Hong Kong citizens to become active agents in keeping our beautiful coastal areas, country parks and city streets safe, clean and trash free.

2. To increase awareness and instil a level of understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental protection.

3. To advocate for change in policy related to waste management, littering and pollution, and for environmental sustainability to become a greater priority for Hong Kong policymakers.

The clear message in the Cleanup’s mission and its practice is that no single event or organization can solve the issue of waste alone; it is up to us all – as individuals, families, schools, communities, governments, NGOs and corporations, to take a role in creating a cleaner environment and minimising the pressure that excessive waste puts on the earth. There are several characteristics that specially distinguish the Hong Kong Cleanup: • We align with a global movement as Official Coordinator for Ocean Conservancy’s

International Coastal Cleanup and Let’s Do It! World Cleanup. • We develop and execute a year-round education platform comprising events, media

strategy and community engagement. • Data is collected at every volunteer Cleanup and used to create reports such as this one, to

inform policies and to develop strategies for change. The Cleanup’s regular success is based on our three-point execution: Education: The educational campaign is promoted through a wide range of media channels as well as working closely with schools, government and supporting organizations, to broaden the reach and impact of the message of how and why to reduce excess waste and litter. Participation: We provide the management, tools and information and empower citizens to lead community cleanups and join the Challenge, because hands-on participation is the key to understanding the problem of littering and debris. By experiencing it first-hand, volunteers gain true awareness of the issue. Driving change: Our team advocates and supports government policy for sustainable, integrated waste management, and for environmental education to become a greater priority. The steady growth in Cleanup participation indicates to government, industry and the world that the Hong Kong community is willing to take action and lead the way for a cleaner environment.

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The Issue of Trash: A Global Perspective Ocean trash, in particular plastic marine debris, is a global issue that affects human health and safety, endangers marine wildlife and costs nations countless millions in wasted resources and lost revenue. Recent studies have estimated the amount of marine debris entering the ocean each year to be at least 8 million tonnes – or the equivalent to dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute. With global populations on the rise and countries continuing to develop, a recent study by Jenna R. Jambeck et. al. predicts that we will reach a global “peak waste” by 2100. The report calculates that current coastal populations create an estimated 2.5 billion metric tonnes (MT) of municipal waste each year, 11% (275 million MT) of which is plastic. Due to the sheer volume of waste being processed and transported on a daily basis, combined with the fact that a large proportion of countries mismanage their waste through littering and inadequate disposal in open dumpsites or uncontrolled landfills, inevitably trash is making its way into the natural environment and this is happening at an unsustainable rate. China, including Hong Kong, was ranked number 1 out of the 192 countries that border the ocean, in terms of mismanaged plastic waste generated by populations living within 50 km of the coastline. China, followed closely by other countries in Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka) thereby poses the largest threat to our marine ecosystems where plastic marine debris is concerned.

Over the past fifteen years, one fact has become unavoidable in the data collected by Cleanup volunteers worldwide: single-use disposable plastic remains the greatest culprit. The statistics are stark: • Plastic is a non-biodegradable, highly durable material designed to last forever; however,

with plastic packaging being the largest application of this material, roughly 33% of plastic produced is used just once and then thrown away.

• Approximately 95% of plastic packaging material, or US $80-$120 billion dollars worth, is lost to the economy after a short first use.

Estimated mass of mismanaged plastic waste in millions of metric tonnes MT generated in 2010 by populations living within 50km of the coastline [Jambeck, J et al].

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• Only 14% of plastic packaging is collected for recycling, and the rate of recycling for plastics in general is much lower.

• Due to their chemical properties, most plastics that do get recycled are converted into lower-value applications – or, ‘downcycled’, meaning they will eventually become poorer grade and unrecyclable

• Many plastics such as microbeads cannot be recovered for recycling, and enter our environment where they remain for hundreds of years posing a great threat to it’s health.

• Plastic threatens over 700 species of animals and birds when mistakenly confused for food or causing entanglement, both of which can lead to their suffering and death.

• Plastic attracts other pollutants making them even more toxic if ingested by wildlife. • Plastic is costing the global economy billions through its negative impact on tourism,

recreation, health and the environment. • Over 90% of plastics produced are derived from virgin fossil feedstocks, representing ~6%

of global oil consumption – equivalent to the oil consumption of the global aviation sector. • If plastic usage continues at this rate, it will account for 20% of total oil consumption and

15% of the global annual carbon budget by 2050. As a result of their unique, unrivaled properties together with their low cost, plastics have secured their stronghold in our global economy. Since the Second World War, humans have made enough plastic to coat the earth in cling film, which is pretty much what we have done. Research shows plastic can be found on the ocean floor, beaches of remote islands, buried underground in landfills, floating in the polar regions, inside the stomachs of our wildlife and even in our bloodstream. Despite the benefits of plastic, the degree to which we have polluted our environment with this highly damaging material is cause for great concern. Plastic production will only increase as more ways are found to replace durable products with disposable. The world's waste management and recycling infrastructure simply cannot keep pace with our rate of consumption and waste creation, meaning plastic will continue to be mismanaged and find its way into our environment by the millions of tonnes.

Global flows of Plastic Packaging Materials in 2013 showing how little of this material is actually recycled and

how much of it ends up in landfill and the environment.

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The Issue of Trash: A Local Perspective

The composition of Hong Kong’s municipal waste in 2014. Over the years, Hong Kong people have become more, not less, wasteful. In the past 30 years, our municipal solid waste (MSW) increased by nearly 80% while our population grew by 36% - meaning that there are not only more people throwing things away, but each of us is throwing away 30% more than we did 30 years ago. The vast quantity of trash produced in Hong Kong together with the limited land available for waste infrastructure, namely landfills, means we are now facing a serious trash crisis. Our three remaining landfills are almost at capacity with the South East New Territories (SENT) Landfill now only accepting construction waste and the other two estimated to be full by 2017 and 2019 respectively.

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In May 2013, the Hong Kong government published an action entitled the Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources, 2013-2022. This plan outlines the current situation in Hong Kong, where the per capita disposal rate of domestic solid waste was 1.35 kg/day, is much higher then in other Asian cities, Taipei (1 kg), Seoul (0.95 kg) and Tokyo (0.77 kg). With Hong Kong facing a massive trash problem in terms of management and disposal, the plan maps out actions waste management solutions for the next 8 years, such as increased recycling and organic waste treatment, and more importantly, ways to reduce our overall waste production from 1.27 kg per day to 0.8 kg or below per capita, per day by 2022. In the recent years following its publication, some of the actions outlined in the Blueprint have been implemented: Integrated waste management facility The government’s plan to construct an incinerator for municipal solid waste on Shek Kwu Chau Island in Hong Kong was approved late last year. While the Government argued that this was an important step in reducing the pressure on our landfills, the plan was met with opposition from the local public, NGOs and other organisations who feared the negative environmental and human health consequences and argued that it would not incentivise the public to sort waste at the source. On November 26, 2015 the Court of Final Appeal dismissed the case against the incinerator and the $18.24 billion project is set to go ahead. Food Waste Management Strategy Of the 9,000 tonnes of MSW that goes to landfill each day, roughly 40% (3,600 tonnes) is considered putrescible, organic waste. The major contributing factor is food waste (90%), although it also includes yard waste and other personal care cotton products. Hong Kong’s food waste disposal is the equivalent of throwing away 250 double-decker buses every 24 hours and is higher per capita (0.13 tonnes) that neighbouring cities such as Seoul or Taipei (0.07 tonnes). Reducing the disposal of food waste at landfills is an important part of the Government’s plan for waste management, with main focus on avoidance of food waste generation and reduction at source. In February 2014, The Environment Bureau released “A Food Waste & Yard Waste Plan for Hong Kong 2014-2022,” a companion document to the Blueprint. The Plan outlines the four strategies to tackle food waste, namely reduction at source, reuse and donation, recyclable collection, and turning food waste into energy. Last year, the Government continued it efforts in reducing Hong Kong’s food waste through numerous public education and awareness activities such as The Food Wise Eateries Scheme launched on November 2nd, 2015 and the development of a large-scale organic waste treatment facility in Siu Ho Wan, scheduled for commissioning in 2017. Waste Charging Scheme Following the public consultation in 2012, the Government has continued to explore the idea of a municipal waste charging scheme in Hong Kong. A Working Group has been formed and includes senior representatives of the EPD, FEHD, the Housing Department and Home Affairs Department. The group hopes to be able to coordinate the necessary preparations and work through any potential issues regarding the proposed mandatory MSW charging with other public services such as efficiency of waste disposal/collection for environmental hygiene, public housing management, and balancing effective enforcement of the charging scheme with privacy considerations and compliance costs.

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The Situation: Coastal Regions Hong Kong is a region of islands – more than 260 of them. As such, its total coastlines comprise roughly 1,190 km. That’s a lot for a small area, and it give us a unique opportunity to have close-up observation of the effects – and causes – of marine debris, as it washes up along these areas. In Hong Kong, over 80% of coastal and marine debris is land-based, consisting mostly of everyday household items like food wrappers, plastic bottles and plastic bags. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department manages 40 gazetted beaches in Hong Kong on Hong Kong Island and across the New Territories and outlying islands. They are cleaned up to multiple times per day, and visitors to such beaches might believe that our coastline is clean, due to the diligent work of city employees to maintain these areas. However, the majority of Hong Kong’s sandy and rocky shorelines, the ungazetted areas, reflect more accurately the condition of the sea around us. With each tide, trash is left on the shore, sometimes leaving a wake of refuse knee-deep, and other times depositing only a film of micro plastics, impossible to clean up and, over time, damaging to fragile coastal ecosystems.

Hong Kong’s coastlines look good from afar…

…But up close, their condition is far from good.

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The Situation: Country Parks Scenically, Hong Kong has a great deal to offer: a landscape rising from sandy beaches and rocky foreshores to heights of almost 1,000 meters, woodlands and mountain ranges covered by open grassland and a variety of scenic vistas rarely, if ever, matched in so small a territorial unit. Countryside comprises 75% of the region, and 40% is designated country park. A total of 24 country parks have been reserved for the purposes of nature conservation, countryside recreation and outdoor education. There are currently 22 special areas created mainly for the purpose of nature conservation. Our hiking trails are internationally renowned; every year millions of people enjoy them for scenic day trips, trail-running and family outings. In the last year, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) reported 11.7 million people visited the country parks and special areas of Hong Kong, engaging in recreational activities such as hiking, leisure walking, fitness exercises, barbecuing, family picnics and camping. However, with so many visitors enjoying the natural beauty of Hong Kong, unfortunately a great deal of trash gets left behind. Barbeque sites and the surrounding areas suffer particularly high volumes of trash, as do the more popular hiking trails seasonally as people train for the many races that take place. The AFCD reported over 3,800 metric tonnes of trash were removed from country parks last year, illustrating a 2.7% increase from the previous year. Education and facilities are needed in order to prevent increasing numbers of visitors from littering our countryside and damaging the environment.

Volunteers enjoy a beautiful hike while cleaning trash from a popular trail on Hong Kong Island.

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The Situation: Urban Areas More than 10,300 street cleaners and contracted workers manually sweep our streets and public areas every single day, removing copious amounts of litter and trash. Waste originating from our homes, schools and city streets is bagged and sent to already-full landfills, or swept down storm drains and washed out to sea. As a result of this very efficient management and removal, many people have the perception that Hong Kong is clean and are not aware of the excessive trash issue that we face. In fact, however, our city streets are littered with trash – while we often do not see it, the quantity of refuse in Hong Kong’s streets, alleys, gutters and storm drains is large, and has increased in recent years likely as a result of the tremendous pressure on the entire waste chain caused by the sheer volume of waste being produced every day: in 2014 we sent an estimate 14,859 tonnes of trash to landfill per day. This vast amount of urban debris must be reduced, as it is a strain not only on our economy and the city’s infrastructure, but on the very ecosystems that sustain us.

Students from Lingnan Dr Chung Wing Kwong Memorial Secondary School on their annual City Cleanup.

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A Year-Round Campaign

Our team regularly participates in educational, Government and business community events and exhibits The Hong Kong Cleanup team works year-round engaging with media, the public, schools, corporations and the local Government. To ensure regular touch-points with the Hong Kong community, we maintain an ongoing schedule of presentations as well as numerous events around the region, both as host and as a supporting organization to other NGOs. Our team designs and develops custom education presentations for schools, companies, community groups, NGOs, eco-fairs and expos, Chambers of Commerce and other relevant external events and groups. Throughout the year we are at major environmental conferences and expos as well as community fairs and seminars. With a total estimated reach of 40,000 people, a few highlights of local events that the Hong Kong Cleanup presented, hosted, supported or participated in this year included: • McGraw Hill Financial Community Impact Month event, May 2015 • WWF Coastal Watch kick-off ceremony presentation, June 2015 • Natural & Organic Products Asia, August 2015 • Clean Shorelines Cleanup Day, September 2015 • Fitbit fan day, September 2015 • Coastal Watch Site Action events, April – November 2015 • Eco Expo Asia, October 2015 • Green awareness cocktail event at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, October 2015 • Bloomberg Charity Week, November 2015 • HKTDC InnoDesignTech, December 2015 • Nomura upcycled kids craft activity, December, 2015 • Eco-partner Wonderfruit Festival, Thailand, December 2015 • The Green Race HK, January 2016 • Zero Waste Week, June 2015 • Ocean Seminar and Launch of Lap Sap Wan display, Maritime Museum, January 2016

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On-Ground Events In addition to the actual Cleanup activities, we organise a series of on-ground events to further educate the public on the issue of trash in Hong Kong and to promote the Hong Kong Cleanup via face-to-face engagement. This year we hosted a series of activities including in-office staff engagement and family education events. Family members of one of our main sponsors, Nomura, enjoyed a fun upcycling Christmas craft workshop, and learned about the ease and importance of recycling and reusing waste materials.

Young Nomura family members having loads of fun making up-cycled Christmas crafts

Coastal Watch Program Hong Kong Cleanup is a proud partner of WWF’s Coastal Watch program. This 2-year initiative is focused on developing a long-term solution to the marine litter problem, educating the Hong Kong public about our unique marine environment and inspiring people to play an active role in safeguarding it’s future. We work closely with WWF and other strategic partners to conduct scientific surveys at a number of sites across Hong Kong where we collect and remove marine litter, determine its composition and carry out ecological surveys to determine any measurable effects on our marine life. This year, Hong Kong Cleanup carried out 4 dryseason and 4 wetseason surveys.

Coastal Watch volunteers participating in scientific marine debris and ecological surveys under guidance by HKC

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Face of Litter Campaign

Launched on Earth Day, April 22nd, Hong Kong Cleanup’s citywide ‘Face of Litter’ campaign proved to be an extremely effective awareness and engagement tool. Developed by award-winning creative agency, Ogilvy & Mather, the highly visible campaign was displayed on multiple media platforms, including the MTR, bus shelters, print publications and social media. In just two weeks the campaign had 3.9 million social network engagements and over HKD $5 million in earned media!

The idea behind the campaign images and video was to display portraits of DNA-profiled litterbugs across the city and online in an effort to increase awareness about the growing issue of global marine debris, along with a message warning people not to litter as it is no longer a nameless crime.

Hong Kong Cleanup strives to raise awareness, empower citizens and use data collected to advocate for positive environmental change. The Face of Litter Campaign was the perfect engine to drive this increased awareness amongst the Hong Kong Population and as a result we received hundreds of enquiries and furthered our reach, as reflected by the record-high 75,623 people who participated in this year’s challenge.

Rafael Guida, Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy, added, “While this method may not identify specific individuals, it will be enough to make people think twice about littering. The campaign combines a public service message with science and technology, enabling us to communicate with Hongkongers in a very different way.”

A bus shelter in Hong Kong displaying the highly effective Face of Litter campaign

3,900,000 SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS

2 WEEK CAMPAIGN

HKD $ 5,000,000 IN EARNED MEDIA

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Zero Waste Week In addition to organising the annual Cleanup Challenge, Ecozine held Hong Kong’s first annual Zero Waste Week. A diverse range of events was scheduled over the course of a week (June 8th – 14th) from informal networking opportunities to a high-profile conference on Zero Waste. Some of the week’s events included: Zero Waste Corporate Roundtable, June 8th: Hosted at the Nomura offices on the 30th floor of IFC 2, this event brought together top-tier executives from Hong Kong’s corporate world to discuss and develop a way forward for offices and companies in the context of Zero Waste. International sustainability experts facilitated a conversation on setting targets and timelines for Zero Waste Offices, the outcome of which has now informed our new Zero Waste Corporate Challenge launching 2016.

Zero Waste Global Summit, June 11th: We are proud to share that Hong Kong's first high-profile summit on Zero Waste was a resounding success, bringing together top international experts and local leaders to discuss this vital, trending topic from the contexts of Policy, Business, Education and Technology.

The Summit was targeted at sustainability professionals, executives from all industries, NGOs, students, and the general public, with an aim to introduce and explore the theme of Zero Waste as pertains to Hong Kong’s future.

Our curated line-up of speakers and moderators included:

• Christine Loh – Under Secretary for the Environment, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong • Dr. Paul Connett – Author, The Zero Waste Solution, USA • Joan Marc Simon – Director, Zero Waste Europe, Spain • Pal Martensson – Director, Zero Waste International Alliance, Sweden • Sonia Mendoza – Chairman, Mother Earth Foundation, Philippines • Enzo Favoino – Chair, Scientific Committee, Zero Waste Europe, Italy • Paul Zimmerman – Founder, Designing Hong Kong, Hong Kong • Samuel Kwong – Group ESG Manager, John Swire & Sons, Hong Kong • Dr. King Ming Chan – Professor, Environmental Science Program, Chinese University,

Hong Kong • Leslie Lukacs – Principal, L2 Environmental, USA • Rowan Williams – Regional Market Development Manger, Asia Pacific, Biopolymers, BASF,

Australia • Gustavo Ritzmann – Strategic Planner, Instituto Lixo Zero Brasil, Brazil • Claire Sancelot – Founder, HK Green Home, Hong Kong • Bobsy Gaia – Founder, Mana! Fast Slow Food, Hong Kong • Al Fullerton – CEO, Zenda Green Energy, Hong Kong • Alison Harbert – Vice President, Head of Branding & Marketing, Asia ex-Japan, Nomura,

Hong Kong • Tracey Read – Founder, Plastic Free Seas, Hong Kong • Ciara Shannon – Founder, Eden Ventures, Hong Kong • Ike Park – Founder, Project O2, Hong Kong • Merrin Pearse – Founder, Coordinate4U, Hong Kong

Guests had the opportunity to hear from a range of experts, join a panel discussion and action-orientated workshop.

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Zero Waste Youth Conference, June 12th: Organised in collaboration with the English Schools Foundation and Ark Eden, this event was designed for students to take a lead in innovative thinking and actions to reduce waste in the school environment, and in their homes. The event was a great success engaging over 500 students in the principals of Zero Waste.

Zero Waste Weekend Festival, June 13th and 14th: This weekend was about creating provided sustainably-minded fun for the whole family! The Zero Waste Weekend Festival at Cyberport featured artworks, presentations, interactive activities, and a Zero Waste marketplace showcasing local eco-friendly and healthy products.

Building on the success of Zero Waste Week 2015, Ecozine together with the Zero Waste Alliance will be hosting a second event in 2016.

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Connecting With the World The Hong Kong Cleanup is far from a standalone event or campaign; we are proud to be part of a massive global initiative to clean up our planet and reduce our waste footprint. As such, we align with several worldwide organizations working to achieve this goal, primarily Ocean Conservancy, Let’s Do It! World Cleanup and Plastic Pollution Coalition. Here are a few highlights of our experiences this year in working with these international partners: On the Map – Hong Kong Recognized Globally in 4th Place For twelve years we have partnered with Ocean Conservancy as the key Hong Kong and Macau coordinator for the International Coastal Cleanup. This year, we were thrilled to learn that, based on their annual globally reported data, Hong Kong came 4th overall in the world last year for number of cleanup participants.

Ocean Conservancy recognizes Hong Kong’s global participation numbers last year, awarding us 4th place

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The 2015 Challenges The 2015 Hong Kong Cleanup offered several types of challenges for the public to choose from:

Coastal Cleanup Challenge

Country Cleanup Challenge

City Cleanup Challenge

With its expansive coastal areas, fishing and shipping industries, marinas, boating and water sports, Hong Kong has a special relationship with the marine environment and as such it is vital for us to take part in its protection. With the ocean “downhill from everything”, it is the last resting place of much land-generated trash. Beach cleanups bring awareness to the vast and vital issue of marine debris and allow participants to engage with our beautiful coastal ecosystems.

Hong Kong’s country parks are one of our most valuable assets. They offer not only beautiful vistas and recreational activities such as hiking, cycling and camping, but also absorb carbon dioxide and are home to many species of wildlife. Detrimental amounts of litter and trash can be found in all of our country parks and the issue needs to be addressed. Cleanups educate about littering and its effect on the natural world we all need and enjoy.

Each day thousands of tonnes of trash from our homes, offices, schools and neighbourhoods is bagged and sent to already-full landfills, or swept down storm drains and washed out to sea. We need to reassess our urban behaviour and stop trash at the source. Cleaning our city streets, offices homes and schools provides an eye opening experience for many. City Cleanup Challenges can consist of a single cleanup day or a longer-term monitoring activity such as the “Zero Waste Challenge,” which provides engagement within the office, school or home that is simple, flexible and can lead to longer-term positive effects.

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Timeline The annual Hong Kong Cleanup effort is a yearlong one, culminating with the Challenge activities each fall. As such, our team works January - January, this year adhering to the below timeline:

Jan-­‐Dec:    School  visits,  corporate  talks,  public  education  

Jan-­‐Jun:  Approach  and  con:irm  2015  HKC  partners  

Feb-­‐May:  Finalise  media  plan  and  event  logistics  plan  

April:  Earth  Day,  launch  of  Face  of  Litter  campaign  

June:  World  Environment  Day,  kickoff  of  team  registrations  

June:  Zero  Waste  Week  

Jun-­‐Aug:  Team  signups  and  marketing  campaign  

Sep-­‐Dec:  Cleanup  Challenge  season  

Sep-­‐Nov:  Free  weekly  public  education  seminars  

Dec:  HKC  Awards  Ceremony  and  press  conference  

Dec-­‐Feb:  Write  and  publish  2015  reports  

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How It Works Due to popular demand, the 2015 Cleanup season was extended to a 12-week period, starting on September 1st and completing on December 1st. This year the challenged engaged a sum total of more than 75,000 participants – a nearly 48% increase in the number of participants compared to 2014. Team participation represented a broad cross-section of the Hong Kong community. Team types included students and teachers from local and international schools, staff from businesses, chambers of commerce, Consulates, NGOs and charities, families, recreational activity groups, government departments, clubs, organisations and celebrities, all competing in the Challenge and being part of the change. The simple process, managed by the Ecozine team, works as follows:

1. Sign up a team Individuals wanting to organise a team cleanup simply choose a Challenge and Cleanup date and estimate the number of participants they plan to bring along from their company, school or group. Then they visit the registration form at HKcleanup.org and enter their details. Upon signing up, they become a “team captain” and receive a confirmation email and instructions from the Hong Kong Cleanup team.

2. Attend a free eco education seminar session All team captains have the opportunity to attend one of the six free seminars held throughout the season. As well as learning about the issue, the Cleanup Challenge, and the how-to of successful participation, volunteers attending the briefings can also ask questions, collect their free educational materials, data tools and meet other participants in a friendly environment.

3. Fundraising This year we partnered with JustGiving to provide our supporters the opportunity to increase the impact of their cleanup effort by raising money for our charity partner, The Nature Conservancy. We hope to grow this platform in 2016 to raise funds for protection of our marine environments, preservation of our fresh water, and restoration of our forests. 4. Go clean Hong Kong! On their chosen date, the team cleans their chosen beach, street, trail, school, home or office, using the checklists and data collection materials provided by Ecozine. Once the cleanup is complete, they are reminded to return their cleanup data to Ecozine, both for the annual report and for the competitions and award ceremony.

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Kickoff Cleanup

The 15th annual Hong Kong Cleanup kicked off to a great start with a joint cleanup with Ecozine and our charity partner, The Nature Conservancy, on September 19th in line with International Coastal Cleanup Day. The activity took place at Lap Sap Wan, aptly named after the worrying amount of trash that collects on this beach regularly. In just over one hour the group removed 72 bags of trash, totalling an estimated 575 kg of debris collected and counted – or 12,504 pieces. With such a huge amount of trash collected by only 31 individuals, this group remained unmatched and ended the season as the winners of the Coastal Cleanup Challenge ‘Most Trash Collected per person’ prize!

Free Public Eco Education Seminars

Each year we hold a series of free eco education seminars for team leaders to attend. Compass Offices generously hosted the location for this year’s seminars in their conveniently located Infinitus Plaza facilities in Sheung Wan. At each of the eight regularly scheduled seminars, guests were able to: • Watch an informative presentation about the issues and the solutions • Get tips on having a safe, meaningful and memorable cleanup event • Learn about the importance of data collection and how to do it • Receive materials for promoting and executing a successful Cleanup • Meet other teams and share about experiences • Win lucky draw prizes sponsored generously by our Prize Partners

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Materials With a concerted effort to go ‘paperless’ this year, each volunteer team captain was provided with detailed information on where to access and download all the necessary documents on our website instead of paper handouts. The online 2015 Cleanup kit contains:

• Standardised data cards • Participant award certificates

• Detailed Cleanup guides • Cleanup posters and postcards

• Safety, material and operational checklists • Printable education materials

• Volunteer registration and waiver forms • Educational videos

Data cards, bilingual informational materials and volunteer waiver forms are available online for participant’s use

The 2015 Certificate of Recognition acknowledges participant’s support and environmental commitment

Posters are available for download to promote Cleanup activities in participant’s workplace, school or community

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Official Hong Kong Cleanup Merchandise The 15th Annual Cleanup was easily recognisable around the region, not only via our iconic logo and marketing campaign, but through eye-catching merchandise including t-shirts and reusable bags that can be enjoyed long after the cleanup is over. Both items were sponsored by Farbo Uniforms and distributed to teams as prizes and gifts. Teams also had the opportunity to produce their own Hong Kong Cleanup co-branded t-shirts to reward participation, provide a lasting no-waste gift, and instil a sense of team pride.

The 2015 HKC t-shirts were made from quick-dry sport fabric that used recycled plastic water bottles

Team Nomura showing off their team spirit with custom-made Farbo t-shirts and bright socks!

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Data Collection

All volunteer cleanup participants are provided with globally standardized data cards to record the types and quantities of trash they collect at their Cleanups. Throughout the Cleanup season, the Ecozine team retrieves, analyses and compiles the data. At the end of the season, the compiled data is used to publish this detailed report, which is shared with media, sponsors, teams and highlights the particular results and findings pertinent to Hong Kong. This report is also made available to educational institutions, government and the wider public electronically. The research findings are used to develop outreach and education materials and to influence government policy in addressing the issues illustrated by the data. Ecozine also contributes data to Ocean Conservancy, which produces annually the world’s only country-by-country database indexing ocean trash, using data collected by volunteers around the globe.

Our data cards are based on global standards, and tailored for Hong Kong’s particular requirements

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Media and Outreach The 2015 Campaign

Award-winning agency, Ogilvy & Mather, created a high-visibility campaign with three separate images for the Coastal, Country and City Cleanup Challenge all delivering the key message “Lets Work Together”

The 2015 Hong Kong Cleanup marketing campaign was designed by the talented team at Ogilvy & Mather and delivered the key message “Lets Work Together.” The campaign comprised of three separate images each representing one of the three cleanup challenges: Coastal, Country and City. Each image resembled a colony of ants carrying a commonly found item of trash, however, upon closer look, they were not ants but tiny people working together to move the large trash items. The aim of the Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge marketing campaign is to celebrate the achievements of the community thus far but also inspire them to keep up the good work by showing them just what can be achieved if we all work together. This year the campaign was displayed widely in various print media, online platforms, and even a large 18 metre wide billboard beside the busy Eastern Harbour Tunnel. The placement of advertisements was supported by extensive editorial coverage both in print and online. Additional media partners covered various demographics and sectors of the public in order to maximise the reach of the campaign. Above the line advertising through media partnerships (both bartered and carefully selected paid advertising) was rolled out cross-media, reaching target attendees at multiple touch-points. Messaging was synchronized with a heavyweight below the line promotional campaign designed to connect the target audience with the event and acknowledge and support the event’s local partners and sponsors. In addition to conventional and digital media support, a key factor in the database building, volunteer recruitment, education and marketing, team recruitment, event promotion and activation is based on community partnerships and supporting organisations. Several types are activated from Ecozine’s extensive regional network:

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a. Chambers of Commerce, Consulates, NGOs, associations and community groups

increase the scope of the marketing reach via outreach to corporate Hong Kong, promoting the event through their websites and newsletters, database support, and registration support (links to entry form, etc.).

b. Education and school partners help extend team participation and volunteer recruitment by utilising databases to promote and register participants and outreach to local schools, students and teachers.

c. Other activity groups such as sports clubs, hiking groups, fitness centres and youth groups encourage entry and reach people at grassroots level and have potential partner challenges and competitions.

The first-ever Hong Kong Cleanup billboard (18m wide x 16m high) beside the Eastern Harbour Tunnel displaying our campaign image and call to action for the whole month of October.

In total, the 2015 Cleanup effort was supported and promoted by no fewer than 30 partners with an estimated reach of over 45 million individual public views. The combined reach of our media and supporting partners can be quantified per the following chart:

HONG KONG CLEANUP 2015 MARKETING OUTREACH CHANNELS Cody Outdoor Billboard beside EHT (2,221,481 vehicles/month) The Sun (1,704,339 readers/day) Oriental Daily News (3,768,048 readers/day) on.cc (16 million page views/day) South China Morning Post (101,652 copies/day) Post Magazine (80,779 copies/week) HK Magazine (150,000 readers/week) The Standard (200,000+/daily) The Standard.com (2 million visits/day) Ecozine Magazine (60,000 readers/issue)

Ecozine.com (47,000+ visitors/month) Asiaxpat (800,000 visits/month) The List (20,000/twice per month) Marketing (12,000 email news service/day) Little Steps Asia (14,287 Facebook likes) Sassy Mama (60,000 visits/month) Italian Chamber (235+ members) Hong Kong Hiking Meetup (5,000+ members) The Nature Conservancy (1 million+ members globally) The Green Race (2,500+ Facebook likes) Hong Kong Cleanup Facebook (4,558 likes)

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Public Relations This year we engaged the support of top PR agency Sinclair Communications. Their team supported us in creating and issuing press releases in the lead-up and launch of the Challenge, as well as post-event, announcing the results. We enjoyed increased media exposure thanks to our interviews with various press.

Kiri Sinclair, Founder & Managing Director of Sinclair Communications together with Hong Kong Cleanup’s Nissa Marion at the official 15th anniversary launch party

We were also fortunate to again engage the support of our wonderful celebrity goodwill ambassadors Jocelyn and Anthony Sandstrom, Rosemary Vandenbroucke, Daniel Wu and Lisa Selesner-Wu, Ankie Beilke, Helena Chan as well as many others who attracted media and public attention throughout the Cleanup period by actively participating in events, taking media interviews and supporting the 15th Annual Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge Awards.

Celebrity ambassadors: Ankie Beilke, Lisa S and Helena Chan showing their support at this year’s kick off event.

Celebrity ambassadors, Jocelyn and Anthony Sandstrom, at the Hong Kong Cleanup press

conference.

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Online Engagement

The HKcleanup.org website is the main contact point for teams to register for the various Cleanup Challenges, get information on how to organise a successful event and learn about the issue itself. The easy-to-navigate site features streamlined registration and data submission pages, downloadable Cleanup materials and guidelines, as well as educational information and our live Facebook feed. Hong Kong Cleanup has a very strong, and growing online community of people who care about the issue of marine debris, many who participated in a Cleanup event. Social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter help drive momentum for team signups and keep volunteers updated pre-, during and post- Cleanup period. There are currently over 4,500 fans on the Hong Kong Cleanup Facebook page, up 58% from last year! Outside of the Cleanup season we post daily updates on our social media accounts covering relevant local and international news articles, fun facts, shoutouts to our supporting partners and other information pertaining to our upcoming campaign. During the Challenge period we interact with our online community multiple times a day, covering participant Cleanup events in addition to relevant local and global news. Over the course of the season, many of our posts reach over 2000 people with our most visible post on April 28th being about the Face Of Litter campaign that reached 873,478 people. Our video posts are also very popular amongst our community with a reported 53,841 views in 2015.

Our steadily increasing Facebook likes as reported by Facebook Insights

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The 15th Annual Hong Kong Cleanup Awards Ceremony + Press Conference

From left: Celebrity Ambassadors Anthony Sandstrom,and Jocelyn Luko-Sandstrom; TNC’s Louisa Ho; Nomura’s

Christopher Antonelli; HKC’s Lisa Christensen; Permanent Secretary for the Environment Ms. Anissa Wong; Celebrity Ambassador Ankie Beilke; and HKC’s Nissa Marion

Hundreds of team captains and guests joined Ecozine and The Nature Conservancy along with our key sponsors and our celebrity goodwill ambassadors for the 15th Annual Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge Awards on Thursday, December 17th, where results of the 2015 Cleanup and the winners of the Challenge were announced. The event was MC’d by celebrity goodwill ambassador Anthony Sandstrom, distinguished speakers including Louisa Ho, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Program for The Nature Conservancy, Nomura's Chris Antonelli, one of our key sponsors, as well as Nissa Marion speaking on behalf of Ecozine.com and our own Founder and CEO, Lisa Christensen, sharing a heartfelt thanks.

Martin and Anna Cai from our partners, The Green Race Hong Kong.

Representatives from Qi Group, Robeco, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Oriental Press Group accepting their awards for ‘Best Team Spirit.’

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Awards were presented to teams for categories, including Weirdest Item Found, Best Team Spirit, Greenest Team, Biggest Team, and Most Trash Collected. The cross-section of winners truly represented the wide variety of groups that participate in the Cleanup effort.* The evening, hosted at KEE Club, was enhanced with music by special guest DJ Nat King Soul, organic wine by La Cabane, vegetarian canapes by Grassroots Pantry and a fun photobooth from Pop Concepts. *Please see Appendix 2 for full award winner details.

The evening’s hosts – the Hong Kong Cleanup team and 2015 core volunteers

Hong Kong Hiking Meetup accepting their award for Weirdest Item Found – WWII rifle bullets

The Nature Conservancy and Standard Chartered representatives team receiving their tied awards for Most Trash Collected

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Key Partners ORGANIZER: ECOZINE

Asia’s premier social enterprise in environmental media, Ecozine provides a myriad of environmental events and education to the Hong Kong community, and the Hong Kong Cleanup is its well-loved signature event of the year. In addition to producing world-class environmentally themed events, Ecozine publishes a high profile quarterly print magazine and daily updated website, along with a very popular weekly e-newsletter. “As Asia’s premier award-winning lifestyle magazine devoted to smart, sustainable lifestyle, Ecozine is committed to promoting more environmental and health conscious ways of life, not just through our articles, blogs and online tools but through on-ground events and partnerships. We’re incredibly proud to be able to bring the Hong Kong Cleanup to the community we love, and in this way contribute to the betterment of Hong Kong and the environment that sustains us.”

- Lisa Christensen and Nissa Marion, Cofounders, Ecozine

Ecozine’s quarterly print publication is available at bookstores and fine retailers across the region

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CO-ORGANIZER: THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

One of the world’s most recognized conservation organizations, The Nature Conservancy has been operating in Hong Kong for thirteen years and has vast experience in using scientific approach in nature and wildlife protection. “The Nature Conservancy collaborates with leading organizations to tackle the most pressing environmental issues around the world. We are thrilled to start this partnership with the HK Cleanup team who are trailblazers at the forefront of conservation in Hong Kong. Our organizations share the same core values and commitment and we hope to infuse TNC’s science-based approach with HK Cleanup’s empowerment messages. Nature supports all of us and we should do more for nature.” - Louisa Ho, Executive Director for the Hong Kong Program, The Nature Conservancy

KEY SPONSORS:

Nomura has been a loyal and supportive partner to the Hong Kong Cleanup for half a decade, helping the campaign and event to achieve record growth year on year. They have been a partner in the truest sense of the word. “Nomura’s seven years of partnership with the Hong Kong Cleanup has enabled us to embed a culture of awareness and accountability in our people. It has also supported Nomura’s growing focus on sustainability and waste management, not only in Hong Kong but across the region. We recognize that companies large and small all have a role to play in protecting our environment and are pleased to have continued investing in our partnership with Hong Kong Cleanup in 2015.” - Chris Antonelli, Global Head of Prime Services at Nomura and Executive Sponsor of Nomura CARES

Our 2015 Supporting Partners help to give the event its financial foundation as well as each participating enthusiastically in various ways, from cleanups to corporate and family events, to helping promote the educational message and recruiting new participants for the Cleanup Challenge. We offer Clarins and Freshfields our heartfelt gratitude for their support.

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Media Partners

Our key media partners included Hong Kong’s top media in both Chinese and English and were of great support, running Hong Kong Cleanup’s advertisements, editorial coverage and related educational content in daily, weekly, monthly and online publications including South China Morning Post, Post Magazine, Oriental Daily News, HK Magazine, The Sun, The Standard, and On.cc. We also received fantastic support from other online media partners including Apsis, AsiaXPAT, Little Steps and Sassy Mama.

Global Partners

Hong Kong Cleanup data is sent to Ocean Conservancy for inclusion in the annual Global Report and Marine Debris Index, and the Hong Kong Cleanup team is actively in communication with the global International Coastal Cleanup network. Through research, education, and science-based advocacy, Ocean Conservancy aims to educate and empower people to speak and act on behalf of the marine environment. In all its work, Ocean Conservancy strives to be the world's foremost advocate for the oceans. The Let’s Do It! movement has seen incredible success and growth in a short time; since it began in Estonia in 2008, Let’s Do It! has evolved into a global network of civic leaders and NGOs in 96 different countries. Now, having already connected around 7 million volunteers in their efforts, the movement is looking to engage its participants and partners into a more systematic co-operation, to go beyond the cleaning and create behaviour change. As Regional Coordinator for Hong Kong, China and Macau, the Hong Kong Cleanup aims to strengthen and build this partnership of mutual support going forward. This year Hong Kong Cleanup became a proud member of the Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC), a global alliance of individuals, organizations, businesses and policymakers working toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on humans, animals, the ocean and the environment.

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Local Partners

Our Local Partners include visionary businesses, Chambers of Commerce, activity groups and associations who provide support in a plethora of ways. From t-shirts to conference rooms, prizes to printing, the services provided by our loyal partners are invaluable and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them again. Many also use their networks to promote the Cleanup, engaging their members and activating team signups through events, newsletters, member magazine promotions and more.

Event Partners

Each year we work with a number of fantastic partners who provide venues, food and beverage and entertainment services for our well-attended events.

Government and NGO Cooperation

“The cleanup and public education efforts by Hong Kong Cleanup over the past 15 years have succeeded in mobilising an increasing number of volunteers to clean up coastal areas, as well as hiking trails, country parks, and even schools and offices. This does not just help keep our city clean but is important in reminding everyone the need to reduce waste at the source. I wish Hong Kong Cleanup success in achieving its goal to engage 5% of Hong Kong population in their cleanup challenges soon. We all have a role in keeping Hong Kong clean and green. Let’s act now!” - Wong Kam-sing, Hong Kong Secretary for the Environment

We are proud to be members of the Hong Kong Government’s Inter-departmental Working Group on Clean Shorelines (epd.gov.hk/epd/clean_shorelines), and work closely with other partner organizations such as Living Lamma, DB Green, Plastic Free Seas, Ocean Recovery Alliance, Naked Islands, and the Hong Kong Hiking Meetup. We are excited to be part of such a passionate community, and are committed to working together to achieve results. We continued our strategic partnership with WWF and other marine-focused NGOs as part of the Coastal Watch program, a two-year citizen science project. The spirit behind the Coastal Watch project is to leverage the momentum of the public-private cooperation developed in the wake of the 2012 pellet spill, and to use scientific methodologies to study, protect and provide year-round monitoring for Hong Kong’s ecologically valuable coastal habitats. We are proud to acknowledge the ongoing support of the following government departments: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department; Education Bureau; Environment Bureau; Environmental Protection Department; Food and Environmental Hygiene Department; Leisure and Cultural Services Department; Marine Department; and Drainage Services Department.

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2015 Results and Findings Team Highlights To offer perspective on participating in the Cleanup Challenge, we asked a few of our enthusiastic teams and partners to share their Cleanup experiences.

The Green Race HK: “Thanks so much to Hong Kong Cleanup for giving us all an opportunity to make a small difference with beach and trail cleans. One volunteer beach clean is only a very small fraction of the seemingly insurmountable waste problem Hong Kong is facing. Change comes in the way we all think and act when it comes to waste in Hong Kong and HK Cleanup is on the frontline of a massive effort to keep HK beautiful for everyone. Hong Kong is one of the best places in the world to live and I encourage you to connect with HK Cleanup to see how you can help too!” - Etienne Rodriguez, Race Director

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao: "The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao is proud to have supported the Hong Kong Cleanup once more this year. Thanks to the Hong Kong Cleanup amazing work, and to the logistic support of Living Lamma, the Italian Chamber has been able to put together a wonderful team of Hong Kong and international volunteers to cleanup one of the beaches on Lamma Island. The Italian Chamber has made corporate social responsibility one of the key drivers of its activities in the past years. Protection of the environment and promotion of the awareness about the issue in our beautiful city is one of them. We look forward to joining the Hong Kong Cleanup again next year!" - Manuele Bosetti, General Manager

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TREE: “At TREE we try to do as much as we can to give back to our environment and community and there’s no better way to do so than participating in the annual Hong Kong Cleanup. This year twenty volunteers from our team headed to a beautiful but very neglected beach only accessible at low tide from Big Wave Bay. We split up into teams, each aiming to collect the most rubbish by the time the tide came in – nothing like a bit of healthy competition and a fast approaching shoreline to provide motivation! We picked up a whopping total of 48 refuse bags full of rubbish – our biggest ever haul – and, at the same time, opened the eyes of our team to a very real environmental issue right on our doorstep, one that they now know they can make a difference to! Thanks Hong Kong Cleanup for another great event.” - Kate Babington, Managing Director

HSBC Expat: Thanks to HKCleanup, our beach cleanup was a great success! We made a huge difference, just beating out the rising tide from pulling all the styrofoam, bottles, rope, nets and even refrigerators back to sea. Participating in the challenge is a great eye opener, when you visit what appears to be a clean beach in Hong Kong, and are forced take a closer look. With so much trash circulating in the currents around Hong Kong it is really difficult to imagine how we've managed to push Mother Nature this far. Hong Kong consumes like nowhere else on earth and the amount of trash produced seems endless. HKCleanup is a leading local organisation challenging us all to ask where it all goes? It's just not sustainable for a global city to carry on like this! One beach at a time, we are all part of the changing tide in HK! – Martin Cai, Business Development Manager, HSBC Bank International Limited

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Coastal Cleanup Challenge Results Coastal Cleanup Challenge – Top 10 Items Recorded (not including tiny trash)

Aligning with global observations and local historical data, single-use plastic, in particular beverage bottles and their caps, are again the top item in this year’s Coastal Cleanup data, followed closely by food wrappers, straws and cigarettes. Coastal Cleanup Challenge – Top 10 Items Recorded (including tiny trash)

When we factor in the “tiny trash” category which includes unidentifiable pieces of plastic, foam or glass (smaller than 2.5cm), it quickly becomes clear that the vast majority of marine debris collected at coastal cleanups is that which had already been broken down by sun, sea and wind into small and often hard to identify pieces. This is particularly important as it is these small plastic items than can cause the most significant damage to our marine and bird life.

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City Cleanup Challenge Results City Cleanup Challenge - Top 10 Items Recorded

City streets With cigarette butts as the clear top item, food wrappers and beverage containers as well as waste paper also topped the list for urban areas.

Country Cleanup Challenge Results Country Cleanup Challenge - Top 10 Items Recorded

On hiking trails and in country parks, plastic beverage bottles are the top culprit of this year along with the usual cigarette butts, food wrappers and tissues, suggesting that the majority of trash collected during Country Cleanups is the result of littering by country park visitors.

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Hong Kong Cleanup Overall Findings 2015 Top 10 Items Recorded Overall

The overall results for this year’s challenge clearly indicate that smaller pieces of trash (foam, plastic and glass) are the most prevalent, contributing 45% of the total trash collected this year. While the larger items are easier to identify and collect, the smaller pieces of debris are present in such high numbers that our volunteers manage to collect and record a high number of them. 2015 Trash Categories

This graph is based on a standardised set of six categories developed by Ocean Conservancy, which are reflected on the data cards used by participants at cleanups across Hong Kong and the world. This year’s data shows the large majority of trash found includes the usual suspects (44.56%) and tiny trash (44.72%).

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Data Highlights

TINY TRASH With the recent inclusion of a ‘Tiny Trash’ section in our datacards, participants can now distinguish between identifiable items such as plastic cups, and those that are too small (<2.5cm) to be identified otherwise. Volunteers in Hong Kong picked up approximately 89,475 pieces of tiny trash (including foam, plastic and glass pieces). Together, these three items comprised over 44.72% of all the trash collected. Although tiny trash is difficult to collect and count, its detrimental effect on the environment is well documented. Fish, birds and animals can mistake small fragments for food and ingest them, often causing starvation and/or contributing toxins to our food chain.

PLASTIC BEVERAGE BOTTLES AND BOTTLE CAPS Amongst the top 5 trash items recorded this season were plastic beverage bottles (9.64% of the overall trash findings by piece) and their bottle caps (6.53%). Globally, the consumption of bottled water is on the rise and a very common habit in Hong Kong. There is great concern over the fate of used plastic bottles as they commonly end up in over-capacity landfills, incinerators or our environment. Made from fossil fuels, the plastic manufacturing process also uses more than twice as much water as it takes to fill the a bottle. This is an unsustainable, avoidable source of plastic waste.

CIGARETTES / CIGARETTE FILTERS Over 7,600 cigarette butts were collected and counted this season, representing 3.81% of the overall trash findings by piece. Discarded cigarette butts contain the non-biodegradable filter saturated with toxins and tar. If ingested by wildlife, these poisonous substances can result in their death. While the percentage of cigarettes collected during Coastal clean-ups declined slightly from last year, they were far more common in City (72.04%) and Country (12.45%) clean-ups contributing 3.81% of the total trash collected this season (up from last year’s 2.54%).

STYROFOAM PACKAGING MATERIALS Small pieces of Styrofoam were the most common item found during clean-ups this year representing 26.33% of the total number of items collected with plastic/foam packaging contributing an additional 4%. The majority of Styrofoam was collected along our coastlines, however the majority originates from land-based sources. Styrofoam, made from plastic, is a toxic, non-recyclable material. It’s fragile, lightweight nature means it easily fragments into smaller pieces through weathering by wave and wind action. It’s lightweight nature means it can be easily transported around the world causing widespread damage to our environment.

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Recommendations PART 1: GOVERNMENT ACTION – POLICY Following publication of the Hong Kong Government’s Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources – 2013-2022 which outlines a new strategy for waste management and minimisation, some positive steps have been taken. However, there is still a lot more work to be done if we are to achieve the targeted 40% reduction in waste sent to landfill. The following section outlines some further recommendations for Government regarding both the existing strategy and new ideas for improved waste management. Legislation

The solution to any problem usually starts with prevention, and in the case of improved waste management; reduction at the source should be a primary focus. As such, we strongly encourage the Government to implement waste charging as swiftly as possible, with the appropriate public education and infrastructure considerations. Individuals, businesses and industry should be given financial incentive to reduce their waste choosing to increase their recycling and reuse of materials instead.

However, waste charging is not a solution on its own; it requires complementary measures by government and an efficient waste collection system in order to be effective. We strongly recommend that the government reference successful legislation in other major cities including those banning, fining or otherwise restricting harmful disposables such as polystyrene, plastic bags, plastic bottles, and microbeads. In the last year, the world saw many new exciting pieces of legislation passed by various municipal, state and national governments around the world: • The US Congress passed the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 banning rinse-off

cosmetics that contain intentionally-added plastic microbeads beginning on January 1, 2018, and to ban manufacturing of these cosmetics beginning on July 1, 2017.

• San Francisco has banned the sale of single-use, single-serving plastic water bottles. The ban will phase out the sale of disposable water bottles in public places and will apply to bottles that hold 621 ml or less of water.

• Washington DC passed legislation banning non-biodegradable foam containers used in food service (i.e. takeaway containers) starting January 1, 2016.

• Rwanda banned polythene bags back in 2008 and even has signs in their international airport, warning visitors that plastic bags will be confiscated.

The widespread success of such initiatives has been proven, and can inspire other governments to follow suit. We strongly recommend that the Hong Kong Government consider adopting stronger waste-related legislation for the protection of our environment.

The government’s agenda to reduce waste includes increased social mobilisation, improved policies and

legislation; and enhanced waste infrastructure.

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Education It is vital that the general public be engaged as a partner in the effort to reduce waste, and this takes concerted and continued effort to achieve. While NGOs and school systems are there to support, it remains the government’s responsibility to ensure that its citizens understand the importance of waste reduction, the ways in which citizens can contribute to improvement (such as understanding what, how, and where to recycle materials), and the incentives to supporting efforts and obeying waste-related legislation.

Better Separation of Waste at Source While effort has been made to create a network of recycling bins for public use, and we applaud efforts such as the “Waste Less” app making it easier for the public to recycle, compared to many other global cities, Hong Kong is still far behind in terms of waste separation at source, the foundation of any effective recycling program. While the Government has plans to improve this thought initiatives such as development of a Strategic Waste Facilities Study and trialling new technology, they have yet to get these projects off the ground. To date there are very few glass recycling bins located around the city despite our cleanup data indicating that glass pieces are a highly common ‘trash’ item found. This represents a waste of valuable resource, as glass is both energy intensive and expensive to manufacture, and infinitely recyclable. Without suitable facilities for people to separate recyclable resources such as glass from their general trash, it will continue to be lost from the economy into landfills. Enhanced recycling is an ongoing need in Hong Kong, and relies heavily on separation at source. Wider scale implementation of both source separation and recycling schemes in collaboration with housing estates, building management, schools, etc. is necessary to make recycling mainstream. We also encourage the government to promote the Community Recycling Network to help local residents recycle waste plastics, glass bottles, electrical equipment and other materials at the many recycling centres located around Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. Increased, and enforced, penalties for littering and dumping Littering and dumping continue to be issues that should be dealt with firmly. Existing legislation such as the “Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness Offences) Ordinance” (Cap.570), against litter in public places, should be more strictly enforced, especially in those places close to Country Parks and our Coastlines. Better education and monitoring of contracted workers and construction site management can help to reduce occurrence of dumping, and should be considered. Improved collection and cleanup efforts The government does an admirable job with the considerable task of keeping our city streets and urban areas clean of litter, employing over 10,300 workers and contractors to do so. However the unsightly, toxic and destructive effect of litter and mismanaged waste is equally, if not more, evident in areas not frequented by the public, such as our coastlines, outlying islands and country parks. The government cannot rely on volunteer and NGO campaigns to overcome the vast amounts of harmful materials, primarily plastics and polystyrene, that litter our natural areas and cause harm to ecology and biodiversity. We call on Hong Kong government to take responsibility for the whole territory that we call home, and not just areas visible to the public.

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PART 2: NURTURING THE ZERO WASTE CONVERSATION

Companies have long been held accountable for their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and environmental policies, however in today’s economy many are only just beginning to realise the potential financial benefits and opportunities associated with setting environmentally-positive policies and targets. The concept of zero waste falls neatly into this category. According to the Zero Waste Alliance, zero waste is “a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.” Across the globe, major companies, cities, and even countries are setting realistic zero waste goals for a brighter, cleaner future without the problems of overflowing landfills and littered environments. As a recognised global financial and economic hub, it is time for Hong Kong to take responsibility, and also get on the path to zero waste. Today many businesses worldwide are benefiting from their zero waste initiatives, including major multinationals who understand that there is economic as well as environmental and special benefit to reducing waste footprint and closing the loop. A zero waste strategy supports all three of the generally accepted goals of sustainability: 1. Economic well-being: Enabling organizations to identify inefficiencies in processes,

products and services, and discover cost-saving solutions in those areas. 2. Environmental protection: Reducing (ideally to zero) hazardous and solid waste output as

well as reducing the need for energy generation and hydrocarbon extraction. 3. Social Responsibility: Efficiency improvements allow more resources to be available for

all. Waste-to-resource can also create jobs in return logistics and reprocessing activities. Engaging staff in a positive action program also encourages team mentality and nurtures leadership.

To this end, we are pleased to continue in our commitment to education and engaging companies, government and the wider public in the conversation about zero waste and what is possible for Hong Kong’s future. Ecozine and the Hong Kong Cleanup will again hold the Zero Waste Week campaign and associated activities in 2016, building on the success and momentum of the inaugural such even in 2015 and providing a platform for change. We welcome the growth of a knowledge base and community around this topic in Hong Kong, and encourage citizens and businesses, as well as the government, to stay informed about zero waste initiatives and innovations in other regions. The opportunities for leadership in this conversation, both within Hong Kong and within Asia, are myriad, and we look forward to seeing the further development of zero waste discussions and goals in coming years.

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PART 3: EVERYDAY ACTIONS

Transformation of our wasteful society into a ‘Waste Not’ culture is impossible without the support of individuals who take action to reduce the waste they generate on a daily basis. Government and corporate actions are only part of the solution; without public participation, Hong Kong will continue to generate an unsustainable volume of waste and our environment will suffer further as a result. Together we can, and must, make a difference to the health of our City and future of our home. Below are 10 easy green tips from the Hong Kong Cleanup that can help you start making a difference to the environment:

1. Be a conscious shopper, always look at the products you are purchasing and really consider their packaging. What materials they are made from and what other options are available? Always choose returnable, reusable, or refillable products over single-use items and choose products with minimal or no packaging over those wrapped in plastic.

2. Get yourself a reusable water bottle. There is absolutely no need to be buying disposable single-use plastic water bottles in Hong Kong. Filling your own bottle with tap, boiled or filtered water is great for the environment, your wallet, and your health.

3. Always have a reusable shopping bag on hand so you never need to accept a plastic one. Say no thank you to plastic sleeves for unpackaged or refrigerated goods.

4. Skip the straw - Did you know that if just 25,000 people declined a straw at restaurants,

we can keep 5 million plastic straws out of our ocean and landfills in just one year?

5. Say ‘no thanks’ to plastic cups, coffee lids and utensils when ordering food, or better yet invest in a take-away coffee cup and re-usable cutlery set. This will not only help to reduce waste but, in the long-term, will discourage the production of single-use items.

6. Simplify your cleaning supplies by investing in a multi-purpose eco-product or better yet, using natural products such as baking soda and vinegar. Eliminate unnecessary disposable spray bottles and other non-reusable materials that aren’t actually needed.

7. Buy in bulk. If you are going to buy something packaged, try and buy the largest quantity

available to reduce your overall waste. This applies to food items, beauty products, cleaning products and much more.

8. Choose natural fibres for clothing, bedding and other household linens. Fabrics made from cotton, wool, hemp and bamboo are all biodegradable and have a much lower environmental impact than synthetic fibres such as polyester, acrylic, and nylon.

9. Get crafty and think of creative ways to reduce your waste. Instead of buying wrapping paper, why not use old newspaper to wrap gifts? Or how about making your own body scrub from brown sugar and coconut oil? The internet is a fantastic resource for eco-DIY projects and you can always check out Ecozine Magazine for some creative new ideas.

10. Voting with every dollar. Demonstrate your preferences with your purchasing power - buy something made from recycled, renewable or eco-friendly material and show producers that consumers care.

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Want to go one step further? Why not take a zero waste pledge! For just one day, one week, a month or even a year, aim to change your behaviour and pledge to cut a particular single-use item out of your life (straws, water bottles, plastic bags etc) – or try to send as little to landfill as possible during that time.

In addition to producing less waste, it is important to sort, clean and recycle the waste you do generate. For tips on what can be recycled and the nearest recyclable collection points, the Environmental Protection Department has created a “Waste Less” mobile app available for download on iTunes. The app is easy to use and offers other fun features such as a daily recycling diary and interactive game to help engage young people.

REUSE REDUCE RECYCLE

A young Zero Waste Week participant standing up for what he believes in and pledging to not use a single plastic bag!

The EPD’s “Waste Less” mobile app helping users locate the nearest recycling bins, providing information on what materials can be recycled and how to prepare them for recycling

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Appendix 1: Team Participation DATE   TEAM  NAME   CLEANUP  LOCATION   PPL   KG   KM  

3/28/15  Green  Sustainable  Living  Hong  Kong  

Tung  Wan  Tsai,  Cheung  Chau  

7   100   0.5  

5/6/15   Zurich   Sok  Kwu  Wan  Beach   112 52 0.4 5/30/15   McGraw  Hill  Financial   Sok  Kwu  Wan  Beach   12 45 0.9 6/21/15   West  Island  School   Lantau  Beach   20   100   10  

6/29/15  The  Repulse  Bay  Company,  Limited  

Lung  Kwu  Tan   14   142   4  

6/29/15  The  Repulse  Bay  Company,  Limited  

Lung  Kwu  Tan   14   142   4  

7/11/15   Smith  Family   Hong  Kong  Dragons  Back   3   -­‐   3  7/11/15   Stormy  Dragons   Tai  Tam  Tuk   12   70   0.4  7/11/15   Eaton,  Hong  Kong   Lung  Kwu  Tan   16   93   150  8/2/15   Bay  by  Bay   Big  Wave  Bay   20   -­‐   0.2  

8/11/15   Personal  Beach  next  to  St  Stephen's  Collage  

5   -­‐   1  

8/28/15   Robeco   Sok  Kwu  Wan  Beach   33 219.5 1.2

8/28/15   Robeco  Mo  Tat  Wan  to  Sok  Kwu  Wan  

33   84 5  

9/5/15   Fitbit  Mt.  Collinson  to  Big  Wave  Bay  

102   -­‐   5  

9/6/15   Coastal  Watch  Program  Chi  Ma  Wan  -­‐  Cheung  Sha  Wan  

25   5.75 -­‐  

9/10/15   ICS  Roots  &  Shoots   Sam  Mun  Tsai  Beach   80   -­‐   1  

9/13/15   Coastal  Watch  Program  Cheung  Chau  (coastal  water)  

16   23.3 -­‐  

9/14/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Po  Toi  Island   35   28.5 -­‐  9/14/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Sham  Wan  (underwater)   15   12.3 -­‐  9/17/15   TNC   Lap  Sap  Wan   31 575 0.2 9/18/15   MUFG   Big  Wave  Bay  Side  Beach   32 194 0.5

9/19/15  The  Landmark  Mandarin  Oriental  

Waterfall  Bay,  Pokfulam   20   150   0.5  

9/19/15  Watermark  Community  Church  Kennedy  Town  Community  Group  

Lamma  Island  Pellet  Beach  11  

15   80   0.4  

9/19/15  Watermark  Community  Church  Kennedy  Town  Community  Group  

Lamma  Island  Pellet  Beach  11  

15   80   0.4  

9/19/15  Watermark  Community  Church  Kennedy  Town  Community  Group  

Lamma  Island  Pellet  Beach  11  

15   80   0.4  

9/19/15   Hi5  Troopers  Violet  Hill  -­‐  Twin  Peak  -­‐  Stanley  

5   3   5  

9/19/15   Hi5  Troopers  Violet  Hill  -­‐  Twin  Peak  -­‐  Stanley  

5   3   5  

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9/19/15  HKUST  -­‐  REDbird  Award  Program  

Clear  Water  Bay   28   24   2  

9/19/15  HKUST  -­‐  REDbird  Award  Program  

    28   40   2  

9/21/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Chek  Chau  (underwater)   15   64.78 -­‐  9/26/15   DB  Green/Plastic  Free  Seas   Nim  Shue  Wan   15       0.3  9/26/15   HKU   Nim  Shue  Wan   30   -­‐   0.4  9/27/15   HK  Hiking  Meetup   Dragons  Back,  Shek  O   11   3   8  9/27/15   HK  Hiking  Meetup   Dragons  Back,  Shek  O   11   3   8  

9/27/15  International  Social  Service  H.O.P.E  Support  Service  Centre  

Wan  Chai   24   -­‐   2  

9/27/15   UBM  Asia  Ltd   Sandy  Bay   1   80   1  

9/28/15   HK  cleanup  squad  West  bay  (St  Stephen's)  beach  

4   5   0.1  

10/1/15   HK  Hiking  Meeup   Lan  Tau   16   2   6  10/1/15   HK  Hiking  Meeup   Dragon's  Back,  Shek  O   17   2   6  10/4/15   PwC   Lantau  island   4   -­‐   2  

10/9/15   Fidelity   Sok  Kwu  Wan  Beach   28 52.5 0.5

10/10/15   Hong  Kong  Hiking  Meetup   Lantau  Trail  Section  3   5   9   6  10/10/15   The  American  Club   Ma  Hang  Park  Beach   30   60   10  10/10/15   HK  Hiking  Meetup   Lantau   5   -­‐   6  10/10/15   USA  Girl  Scout     Ma  Hang  Beach   50   118   1  10/10/15   Hong  Kong  Hiking  Meetup   Mclehose  8   9   -­‐   10  

10/10/15  150th  Hong  Kong  Scout  Group  

Waterfall  Bay   15   125   0.1  

10/10/15   Nomura   Big  Wave  Bay   97 650 0.3

10/10/15   Nomura   Mt. Collinson to Big Wave Bay

81   258 5  

10/11/15  Living  Lamma  with  Redfuse  and  Y&R  

Pak  Kok,  Pebbles  Beach   18   -­‐   0.8  

10/11/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Tai  O  (coastal  water)   16   25.6 -­‐  10/12/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Pak  Nai   16   25.6 -­‐  10/16/15   BBC  Worldwide   Chung  Hom  Kok   4   15   2  

10/16/15   Quintiles  Hong  Kong  Limited  Victoria  Peak  (Lugard  Road)  

47   15   3  

10/16/15   BlackRock   Aberdeen  Country  Park   23   -­‐   2  10/16/15   ERM  Hong  Kong  Ltd   Shek  O  Beach   30   100   3  10/17/15   HK  Hiking  Meeup   Ma  On  Shan  Country  Trail   16   4   8  10/17/15   HK  Hiking  Meeup   Ma  On  Shan  Country  Trail   16   4   8  

10/17/15  CommTech  Technology  MOC  Ltd  

Aberdeen  country  park   8   2   6  

10/17/15   Club  Oceanaire   Wu  Kwai  Sha   14   140   3  

10/17/15  Hanison  Construction  Company  Ltd  

Power  Station  Bay  (Tai  Wan  To)  

19   50   0.21  

51

10/17/15  Lingnan  Dr  Chung  Wing  Kwong  Memorial  Secondary  School  

Tsim  Sha  Tsui  East   24   20   10  

10/17/15   The  Hong  Kong  Club   Tung  Wan  Beach   45   449   0.48  10/18/15   Living  Seas  Hong     Bayside  Beach   1   351   0.5  

10/19/15   DofE  Bronze  Gold  Coast  Beaulieu  Dog  Beach  

1   2   0.2  

10/19/15   DofE  Bronze  Gold  Coast  Beaulieu  Dog  Beach  

1   2   0.2  

10/19/15   DofE  Bronze  Gold  Coast  Beaulieu  Dog  Beach  

1   2   0.2  

10/19/15   DofE  Bronze  Gold  Coast  Beaulieu  Dog  Beach  

1   2   0.2  

10/19/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Kat  O  (underwater)   16   8.2 -­‐  10/20/15   Roche  Hong  Kong  Limited   Clear  Water  Bay   4   -­‐   0.238  10/20/15   English  Schools  Foundation   Gemini  Beach   42   100   1  

10/21/15  HONG  KONG  HIKING  MEETUP  GROUP  

LANTAU  SECTION  3   12   15   7  

10/21/15   852  Green  Team   Big  Wave  Bay  Side  Beach   25   -­‐   2  

10/21/15   Rob  and  Ros  Barker  Roadside  around  Tong  Fuk  and  South  Lantau  Road  

2   -­‐   1  

10/23/15   EFCC  Tung  Fook  Church   West  Bay  Beach,  Stanley   13   5   0.1  10/23/15   OZO  Wesley  Hong  Kong   Tai  Tam,  HK  Island   14   22   3  

10/23/15   Morgan  Stanley  Asia  Limited  Anglers’  Beach,  Tsing  Lung  Tau  

11   40   0.2  

10/23/15   Standard  Chartered  Bank   Sam  Mun  Tsai   43   480   150  10/24/15   BAML   Stanley  Beach   77 214 0.8

10/24/15   HK  Hiking  Meeup    Tai  Lam  Chung  Country  Trail  

14   3   9  

10/24/15  Daiichi  Sankyo  Hong  Kong  Limited  

Stanley  Beach   9   42   1  

10/24/15   Ovolo  Group     Po  Toi  Beach  3   20   42   1  

10/24/15   Regal  Hotels  International   Tong  Fuk  Beach   57   136   0.15  10/24/15   SUEZ   Sha  Lan   30   159   1  10/24/15   Ryosho  Hong  Kong  Co  Ltd   butterfly  beach   18   -­‐   1  

10/24/15  Hong  Kong  Airport  Services  Ltd.  

Wu  Kai  Sha   26   -­‐   0.5  

10/24/15   WALLYMIK  LTD   LUNG  KU  BEACH   5   150   2  10/24/15   CUHK-­‐YMCA  Group   Tung  Wan   15   30   2  

10/24/15  The  Scout  Association  of  Hong  Kong  -­‐1110th  NT  East    

Sha  Lan  Beach   42   55   1  

10/24/15   The  University  of  Hong  Kong   Sai  Wan  Swimming  Shed   22   -­‐   0.075  

10/24/15   Rob  and  Ros  Barker  Waterfront  parking  area  at  Miu  Wo  

2   -­‐   1  

10/24/15   JP  Morgan   Shek  O  Beach   26   -­‐   1  

10/25/15  Eta  Sigma  Delta  IHMS    -­‐  CUHK  Chapter  

Sheung  Sze  Wan  Beach   7   12   0.5  

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10/25/15   Isabella  DofE  Bronze   Tsing  Lung  Beach   1   5   0.5  10/25/15   Natixis   Big  Wave  Bay   5   50   2  10/25/15   Hong  Kong  Hiking  Meetup   Ma  On  Shan  Country  Trail   7   -­‐   12  10/25/15   Hong  Kong  Hiking  Meetup   Ma  On  Shan  Country  Trail   7   -­‐   12  

10/25/15   ROB!  Rubbish  Off  Beaches!  Lo  Kei  Wan  beach,  South  Lantau  

14   -­‐   0.3  

10/25/15  Italian  Chamber  of  Commerce  

Yung  Shue  Wan,  Lamma  Island  

21   250   1  

10/25/15  Ocean  Park  Conservation  Foundation,  Hong  Kong  and  AECOM  

Shui  Hau     1   93   0.1  

10/25/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Po  Toi  (underwater)   12   25.6 -­‐  

10/26/15  The  Canadian  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  Hong  Kong  

Dragon's  Back,  Shek  O   83   -­‐   10  

10/26/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Ha  Pak  Nai   22   49.6 -­‐  10/26/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Shui  Hau   30   103 -­‐  

10/28/15  Isabella's  DofE  Bronze  Award  

Ng  Tung  River,  Sheung  Shui  

1   -­‐   1  

10/28/15   TREE   Big  Wave  Bay  Side  Beach   16   -­‐   0.05  10/29/15   Bamboo  Grove   Ma  Hang  Park  beach   15   20   1  10/29/15   Destination  Asia  Hong  Kong   Starfish  Bay   10   60   1  10/29/15   HK  cleanup  squad   Tai  Tam  country  park   4   1   5  10/30/15   H&M   Sok  Kwu  Wan  Beach   108   608   1  

10/30/15   FIS  Primary    Rocky  Beach  /    "the  back  of  Shek  O"  

23   -­‐   0.015  

10/31/15   OPG  Anglers’  Beach,  Tsing  Lung  Tau   54

147 0.6

10/31/15  Freshfields  Bruckhaus  Deringer  

Round  Island  (Ngan  Chau)   10   100   0.5  

10/31/15   Hong  Kong  Hiking  Meetup  Hong  Kong  Trail  Section  8  and  Pottinger  Country  Trail    

10   5   12  

10/31/15   ESF   Yung  Shue  Wan   30   60   0.5  

10/31/15  Hong  Kong  Girl  Guides  Association-­‐333NT  PACK  

sha  lan  beach     7   4   1.5  

10/31/15   Hong  Kong  Hiking  Meetup    Cape  D'Aguilar-­‐  Thunder  Cave    

33   12   2  

11/1/15   VSA  (Primary)  PTA   Sok  Kwu  Wan  Beach   158   472   1  11/1/15   King  &  Wood  Mallesons   Rocky  Bay  Beach   20   234   0.1  11/2/15   Bloomberg   Sandy  Bay,  Pok  Fu  Lam   34   108   0.6  11/8/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Sok  Kwu  Wan   35   21.6 -­‐  11/8/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Shek  Pai  Wan   14   1.85 -­‐  11/8/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Starfish  Bay   34   5.35 -­‐  11/9/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Beaufort  Island   17   15.7 -­‐  11/10/15   Team   Shek  Pai  Wan  beach   12   150   0.1  11/10/15   Hopp/Parker  family   Tung  Wan  beach   5   7   0.5  11/10/15   Boy  Scouts  of  America   Bat  Gan  (8  houses)  Beach   50   230   0.1  

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11/11/15  Kiangsu  chekiang  college  international  section  

Deep  water  bay/repulse  bay  and  path  

5   -­‐   3  

11/11/15  Kiangsu  Chekiang  College  International  

Deep  Water  Bay/  Repulse  Bay  and  path  

2   1   3  

11/11/15  Kiangsu  Chekiang  College  International  Section  

Deep  Water  Bay/  Repulse  Bay  and  Path  

4   -­‐   3  

11/11/15   Smith  Family  The  Twins,  Repulse  Bay,  Stanley  

3   3   2  

11/14/15   The  Green  Race  Wong  Shek  Pier  to  Ham  Tin  Wan  

26   440   7.34  

11/14/15   Green  Coco   Po  Toi  Island  -­‐  Pellet  Beach   28   50   0.5  

11/14/15   Hong  Kong  Hiking  Meetup    Mac  7  and  Wilson  7  via  Lead  Mine  Pass    

6   15   14  

11/15/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Shek  O  Back  Beach   43   7.68 -­‐  11/16/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Aberdeen  (coastal  water)   19   40.6 -­‐  11/18/15   HITACHI  GRUOP   Tung  Wan  Beach     155   212   5  11/20/15   Santa  Fe   Lung  Ha  Wan   27 380 0.6 11/20/15   Little  Steps  Asia   Shek  O  Beach   4   -­‐   2  11/20/15   HSBC   Shek  O  East   23   40   1  11/21/15   Smith  Family   The  Peak  trail   3   3   3  11/21/15   Sara  Beattie  College   Discovery  Bay   4   4   1  

11/21/15  CLP  Power  Hong  Kong  Limited  (CLP  AMD  Community  Care  Team)  

Sai  Wan  Pavilion  to  Sai  Wan  Tsuen  to  Pak  Tam  Au  

10   60   3  

11/21/15  CLP  Power  Hong  Kong  Limited  (CLP  AMD  Community  Care  Team)  

Beach  next  to  Sai  Wan  Tsuen  

12   102   1  

11/22/15   Passion  on  the  beach   Sha  Ha  Beach   27   -­‐   0.5  11/22/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Ocean  Park  beach   24   1.28 -­‐  11/23/15   The  ISF  ACADEMY  PTA   Sandy  Bay   68   390   1  11/23/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Pak  Kok   36   27.15 -­‐  

11/23/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Lung  Kwu  Tan   37   25.6 -­‐  

11/23/15   Coastal  Watch  Program  Cheung  Chau  (coastal  water)  

18   19.2 -­‐  

11/23/15   Coastal  Watch  Program   Big  Wave  Bay   12   25.6 -­‐  11/27/15   Gulf  Agency  (HK)  Limited   Little  Palm  Beach   14   -­‐   0.4  11/28/15   Island  Cub  Scout  Pack  1368   Stanely  Sandy  Bay   1   50   1  

11/29/15  Man  Investments  (Hong  Kong)  

To  Tei  Wan  (ìyín‡s)  Shek  O,  Cape  D'Agui  

9   10   1  

12/2/15   Benoy  Beach  beside  sewage  treatment  plant,  Stanley  

14   -­‐   -­‐  

12/9/15   Hotel  Jen  Hong  Kong     Sandy  Bay     12   35   1  09/30/2015   OZO  Wesley  Hong  Kong   Yung  Shue  Wan   15   11   0.6  1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

LCSD   Various   22,632   817,271 20.5  

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1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

FEHD   Various   900   99,095 130  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

Marine  Dept   Various   25,760   2,855,074 50  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

AFCD   Various   1,755   65,610 300  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

FEHD   Various   10,600   730,821 662  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

Liina  Klauss   Various   1,400   6,300 3  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

Plastic  Free  Seas   Various   3,250   14,625 8  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

Friends  of  Sai  Kung   Various   400   1,800 4  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

Ocean  Recovery  Alliance   Various   200   318 2  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

EcoMarine   Various   450   2,025 5  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

Green  Council   Various   2,852   5,353 228  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

Data  not  submitted   Various   1,743   6,446   397  

1/9/2015  -­‐  1/12/2015  

Rob  and  Ros  Barker   Various   28   36   7  

TOTAL           75,623   4,616,067   2,447  

Note:  Cells  containing  "-­‐"  indicate  cases  where  data  was  omitted,  and  estimates  have  been  made  using  submitted  data.  These  estimates  are  based  on  per-­‐person  averages  specific  to  the  type  of  cleanup  event  (Coastal,  Country  or  City)  and  are  accounted  for  in  the  “Data  Not  Submitted”  section.  

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Appendix 2: 2015 Challenge Winners 1. Country and City Cleanup Challenge

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2. Coastal Cleanup Challenge

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Appendix 3: Acknowledgments Hong Kong Cleanup Organizer: Ecozine and The Nature Conservancy Sponsors: Nomura International (Hong Kong), Clarins and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Global Partners: Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup, Let’s Do It! World and Plastic Pollution Coalition Supporting Partners: Business Environment Council, Beef & Liberty, The Green Race, HK Photography, and The Italian Chamber of Commerce Media Partners: South China Morning Post, Post Magazine, Oriental Daily News, The Sun, HK Magazine and The Standard Campaign Partner: Ogilvy & Mather PR Partner: Sinclair Communications Apparel Partner: Farbo Uniforms Online Partners: on.cc, Apsis, Asiaxpat, Little Steps and Sassy Mama Venue and Event Partners: Compass Offices, KEE Club, Grassroots Pantry, La Cabane, Pop Concepts NGO Partners: Coastal Watch, Interdepartmental Working Group on Clean Shorelines, Hong Kong Hiking Meetup, Ocean Recovery Alliance, Plastic Free Seas and Living Lamma Ecovision Team Lisa Christensen: Founder + CEO Nissa Marion: Cofounder & Director Celebrity Goodwill Ambassadors Daniel Wu and Lisa Selesner-Wu Jocelyn and Anthony Sandstrom Rosemary Vandenbroucke Ankie Beilke Helena Chan Special Thanks Tessa Friend: Project Management Melissa Yu: Project Coordination Chandni Chotrani Photography Sean Baylis & Danny Lee – HK Photography Billy – Huge Creation Backdrop Production Design DJ Nat King Soul Volunteers: Kathy Yin, Abbe Ho, Nicole Cheung Government Departments Inter-departmental Working Group on Clean Shorelines Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Drainage Services Department Environmental Protection Department Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Leisure and Cultural Services Department Marine Department

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Appendix 4: Sources Images courtesy of: HKC / Ecozine Image Bank Ocean Conservancy Press Images - http://www.oceanconservancy.org/who-we-are/newsroom/ NOAA - marinedebris.noaa.gov Dr. Andy Cornish, WWF-International Gary Stokes, Photographer - http://garystokesphotography.com Alex Hofford, Photographer - http://www.alexhofford.com/ Stefan Irvine, Photographer – http://stefanirvine.com/ Sean Baylis, Photographer - http://sdbphoto.com/ Chandni Chotrani - http://www.chandnic.com/ Images in this document may not be reproduced without permission. Reference sources: Environment Bureau, Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Hong Kong, 2013. Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013 – 2022. Environmental Protection Department, Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 2008. Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance (PERO) (Cap. 603). McIlgorm, A. 2008. Understanding the Economic Benefits and Costs of Controlling Marine Debris in the APEC region (MRC 02/2007). WRAP, 2014, Banbury, Plastic Packaging Market Study (Plastic Flow), Prepared by Valpak and WRAP World Economic Forum, 2016. The New Plastics Economy Rethinking the Future of Plastics

Jenna R. Jambeck et al. 2015. Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science, vol. 347,

no. 6223, pp. 768-771

www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/about/distribution/default.asp

http://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/waste-reduction-programmes.html

https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/country/cou_lea/cou_lea_use/cou_lea_use.html earthresource.org cleanuptheworld.org letsdoitworld.org/ oceanconservancy.org/