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| Rechargeable batteries
The Environmental Protection Department of
The Hong Kong SAR Government launched the Rechargeable Battery
Recycling Programme last year. In response, HSEO and FMO have
placed collection boxes at convenient locations on campus
to collect unwanted rechargeable batteries. The boxes can
be found in the following places:
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Shaw Amenities Building,
VA001, beside the entrance
in the Student Canteen
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Shaw Amenities Building,
VA podium level, opposite
to the 7-11 Shop
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Communal Building, S 3/F, At the
entrance of the Student Canteen
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It should be noted that only RECHARGEABLE batteries are to
be put into the boxes. These include Lithium Ion (Li-ion),
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries
as they are more economically viable than disposable batteries
for recycling. More information can be found in web page of
the Environmental
Protection Department. Before putting the rechargeable batteries
into the boxes, they should be checked for any leakage or
corrosion for safety reasons. Then the conducting terminals
should be covered with adhesive tape to prevent short circuiting
for safety reasons, too.
Rechargeable batteries are the best choice
for portable equipment because they can be re-used hundreds
of times, are more cost-effective for recycling, and create
less waste. To facilitate purchase of rechargeable batteries
and chargers, Finance Office has included them under their
blanket agreement for supply of stationery.
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Campus
Development Office
Most of us would notice that
PolyU has had many major developments on campus in recent
years. These developments come with many environmentally-friendly
features, such as water saving taps, energy saving lighting
and building designs, greenery around buildings and even on
roofs, etc. One of the key personnel driving these environmental
initiatives behind the scenes is Mr Shu-keung Chan, Head of
the Campus Development Office (CDO).
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Chan has been an active member of The Conservancy Association
of Hong Kong since 1974. He has served on the Association's
Executive Committee for some years and is now a life
member. Back in 1979, when there was little formal contact
between the Government of Hong Kong and the Mainland
on environmental issues, he and a few members of the
Association paid a pioneering visit to the Head of the
Environmental Protection Office under the State Council
in Beijing. Two decades later, his mission continued
when he was a member of the HKSAR delegation to the
World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa
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Being
an architect, Mr Chan currently sits on the Environment
and Sustainable Development Committee of the Hong Kong
Institute of Architects which actively advocates the
Green Building concept.
With his backgrounds, Mr Chan has been pushing for the
integration of environmental protection in building
development, both in the community at large and in PolyU.
Besides putting in place the various environmental features
into building designs, CDO has managed to incorporate
into campus development projects many new environmental
initiatives. These include plans for new lawns on podium,
putting on green roofs and green fences, planting more
vegetation, and adding sunshades to existing buildings.
One particular issue worth mentioning
is that CDO has recently taken on the leading role in
the collaborative purchase of energy-efficient lighting
exercise for all the UGC-funded institutions.
With so many new developments of
PolyU in the pipeline, it is nice to know that the person
who oversees them is one who takes our environment seriously,
and with a passion. |
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| Used book exchange |
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If used books are no longer useful
to you, it is environmentally friendly to pass them
to those in need. This will extend the useful life
of books and hence save our forests.
Since last year, The Hong Kong Community
College Students' Union has created a platform for
exchanging used books among their fellow students.
At the beginning of each semester, the platform will
be open for about a month starting from the beginning
of the academic year. While the exchange platform
is only for used books at the moment, the Studentsˇ¦
Union is considering to extend the service to other
items in the future.
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WHO air quality guideline has been updated
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Published
in 1987 by World Health Organization (WHO), air quality guidelines
were revised in 1997. Given the wealth of new studies on the
health effects of air pollution since the completion of the
second edition of the Air Quality Guidelines for Europe, WHO
has undertaken to review the accumulated scientific evidence
and to consider its implications for its air quality guidelines.
Details could be found in the web site of WHO.
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Recycled paper for purchase
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Trees
are cut to make paper products. You may save some trees by
putting used paper products into recycling bins. These products
would then undergo some recycling processes to become useful
products again. Such recycled products can often be found
around us, including some cardboard in packaging, books printed
with recycled paper, and some paper towels, etc. Finance Office
has included recycled paper in their blanket agreement for
supply of copying paper. We need your support to save the
forests.
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Environmental
Newsletter
October, 2006
Health, Safety and Environment Office
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