1. Preamble
Hong Kong Baptist University is committed to reducing its environmental impacts through effective waste management. The University adopts the waste reduction strategy “Use Less, Waste Less”, and strives to establish a sustainable campus through resource circulation.
2. Policy Statement
The University manages the waste through:
Compliance Obligations
- Comply with all applicable local legislations and regulations, and whenever possible, the guidelines or best practices of handling and disposal of waste.
Waste Management Hierarchy
- Adopt the waste management hierarchy which emphasises on Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle (i.e. the ‘6Rs’ principle); and
- Reduce waste loads by making waste reduction at source a top priority and encourage cyclical use of resources.
- Strictly prohibit any discharge of waste and wastewater, any spillage and accidental release of hazardous and contaminated materials to marine ecosystems.
Waste Minimisation
- Minimise single-use disposable materials and products where possible;
- Minimise single-use plastics on campus through the following initiatives:
- Ban the sale and distribution of single-use plastic tableware unless unavoidable;
- Ban the sale and distribution of single-use plastic bottled water and provide sufficient drinking water dispensers on campus;
- Encourage the use of digital or recyclable signs and banners to substitute single-use plastic banner in all events;
- Minimise food waste from catering services, events, and activities on campus; and
- Ensure proper food waste treatment by segregated them from non-food waste items.
Hazardous Materials Disposal
- Ensure the proper disposal of all hazardous and clinical materials generated from laboratories, clinics, workshops, and other daily campus operations.
Waste Tracking
- Record the quantity of waste generated/reduced/recycled/disposed to facilitate monitoring and review of waste and recycling performance on campus.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Encourage waste prevention, reuse, and recycling behaviour through communication, engagement, and education.
3. Applicability
This policy is applicable to all service providers and supply chains for the campus. It is expected that both the service providers and supply chains will adopt the same principles and incorporate them into their operations accordingly.
The policy will be reviewed from time to time as appropriate and, in any event, once every three years. The policy will be made available and known to all these stakeholders and the public.