Adventure Clean Up Challenge sparks transformative experience as Hongkongers confronted by plastic pollution
- Teams have a set time to clean up an area and spread the word about plastic pollution, but a lasting impression extends beyond the designated days
Teams of Hongkongers will be confronted by the plastic crisis this month as part of the Adventure Clean Up Challenge, and the experience is sure to be transformative. Groups of four will be assigned hard-to-reach areas in Sai Kung or Clear Water Bay and given three days to pick up the trash.
“When you see plastic on the ground in Central, it does not have an affect. You expect to see it. But when the teams go to their area, they cannot imagine how bad it is until they see it, and it has an affect long after the challenge,” said co-organiser Esther Roling.
After the three days, the teams will then have two weeks for outreach, to spread the word. They will be judged on volume of rubbish collected, any “extra mile” effort to collect the trash, safety, teamwork, community engagement and “walking the eco talk” to see what they put in place to reduce their own impact on the environment. A panel of judges will declare a winner and they will receive goods to the value of HK$10,000 from title sponsor Patagonia.
Last year, the clean-up phase lasted a month but it has been reduced due to Covid-19. However, the number of teams has grown from six to 13. Their assigned areas match their skills – if they are open water swimmers, the team may be given a beach that requires swimming. If they are rock climbers, the beach could be rocky or accessible by rope.
“Part of it was giving a team a site and not rotating it. They adopted that site and kept going back. Some even went back after the challenge was over, for months after. It’s like ownership,” said co-organiser Maria Soledad Riestra.