The Hong Kong government needs to introduce stronger measures to encourage recycling in the local community, said teenagers who recently visited Japan to learn about recycling policies there.
After being named champions in a video competition earlier in the year, five Form Seven students from Christ College and five members of the youth organisation Breakthrough won an all-expenses-paid study trip to Tokyo in May.
The competition and the trip, organised by Friends of the Earth (HK) and sponsored by Ricoh, aimed to enhance
young people's awareness of reducing waste and recycling resources.
During the four-day trip, the 10 competition winners visited the Ricoh factory, which enforces a 'zero-waste-to-landfill' policy.
They also went to see a community venture which sells second-hand goods and produces environmentally-friendly soaps, and a recycling centre which is responsible for recycling all sorts of electrical appliances.
These first-hand experiences have changed the young people's impression of the country's conservation efforts.
