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Clara Tse Hoi-yee and Vincent Lam Wan-kit arrive for their wedding in the ZCB buggy.

Something new: the big green leap

Olivia Rosenman

It's not a new concept in the United States, Australia, Denmark and Canada, where books such as help couples plan low-carbon nuptials. Even the mainland was ahead of Hong Kong; last year in Wuhan, 25 models showed off wedding dresses made entirely of toilet paper to promote environmental awareness. But green nuptials have finally arrived in the city.

Management company ZCB and the Construction Industry Council (CIC), which developed the city's first zero-carbon building (ZCB), are jointly offering low-carbon wedding packages at the Kowloon Bay facility. The building opened last month and will achieve "zero net carbon emissions on an annual basis", according to the CIC.

The first to tie the green knot were Clara Tse Hoi-yee and Vincent Lam Wan-kit, who did so on Valentine's Day. They were joined by 15 other couples pledging to "build a low-carbon family", each partner committing to a lifestyle as well as a mate.

Never fear, though, eco-friendly couples won't have to compromise on the schmaltz and sentimentality of a traditional wedding. ZCB offers transport by way of horse-drawn buggy (not available for cross-harbour tran-sit, one would hope) while bright, colourful decoration is achieved with vases of fresh fruit instead of cut flowers. Guests are en-couraged to snack on the fruit, along with a range of organic canapés, throughout the event and to take home any leftovers, to avoid waste. Art pieces made from recycled paper, leaflets, posters and bottles provide other decorative frills.

The ZCB facility costs HK$3,850 for a half day. For further details on wedding packages, call 2100 9800. ZCB's low-carbon facilities can also be hired for conferences, seminars, exhibitions and other events.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: The big green leap
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