Nearly 200 schools have joined the Sixth Hong Kong Green School Award, pledging their support for energy conservation and waste reduction.
Sponsored by Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK) and the government's Environment and Conservation Fund, the award enlists local schools to formulate conservation policies and foster a sense of caring for the environment among teachers and students.
During last week's award ceremony, St Paul's Convent School, winner of last year's Fifth Green Award, was praised for its creative initiatives in energy conservation.
Solar panels were installed in the Wan Chai school to generate electricity for classrooms. Students of the school also collected food leftovers which were made into organic compost.
The school's tuck shop also stopped using styrofoam lunch boxes and gave out reusable plastic cutlery for students.
Miss Cheng Hiu-man, the teacher in charge of the Environmental Society of the school, appreciated her students' green efforts.
'Three years ago, we required all students to set the temperature of air-conditioners at 25.5 degrees Celsius,' she said.