ENVIRONMENTAL groups yesterday accused organisers of Sunday's concert at the Hong Kong Stadium of wasting thousands of gloves handed out during the event to muffle the applause.
The groups, initially encouraged by the concert which had a health and environmental awareness theme, were shocked to find gloves strewn across the stadium grounds and neighbouring footpaths.
The garments, provided by the Government Supplies Department, were distributed to the 38,000 people who attended the event in an effort to lessen the noise.
Residents said screams and applause were still above acceptable limits.
A government spokesman said last night that the stadium managers, Wembley International, had been contacted to return gloves discarded within the arena.
The Health and Welfare Branch, however, regarded the gloves littering the footpaths around Eastern Hospital and along Caroline Hill Road as 'garbage'.
He said the cost of collecting, washing and preparing them for re-use would be higher than buying new gloves.