Shout it from the Rooftops!

We are cleaning beaches, recycling everything we possibly can, and even solar panelling our roofs. DB just keeps getting greener. Raphael Blet reports

PHOTOS COURTESY OF

SolarFuture & by Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com

One of the ways in which Discovery Bay remains an inspiring place to live is that its residents are fully on board with regard to the environment. The resort is packed with like-minded individuals who are awoke to the need for lifestyle changes, who are committed to the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) and who believe that doing their bit, however small, can make a difference.

We see this eco-awareness in DB kids, like climate change activists Dhaanya and Reaha Ganeriwal, who were featured last issue. We see it in the DB Green and Plastic Free Seas volunteers, many of whom have been cleaning DB beaches and encouraging us all to “say no to plastic” for 20 years or more. We see it in our supermarkets, where no one wants to be seen walking out with a plastic bag, and more recently, we see it on DB rooftops, where solar panels are starting to be installed.

When it comes down to it, thanks to initiatives like DB Community Green Square and the Green Icon@DB, we see it in the way the whole resort is managed. Let’s take a closer look.

GOING SOLAR

Solar power reduces air and water pollution, it cuts the need for un-renewable resources and it reduces hazardous waste, thereby mitigating climate change. Using it reduces our carbon footprint and means we don’t have to pay electricity bills, which is another reason everyone wants it, right? If you are looking to transition to solar power, there are a growing number of Hong Kong-based experts to consult. One such firm is SolarFuture (

www.solarfuture.hk

), headed up by two brothers Greg and Andrew MacDonald. To date, SolarFuture has completed two projects on Headland Drive, one on Seabee Lane and another on Siena One. The MacDonalds have installed over 130 grid-collected solar panel systems in wider Hong Kong, on both residential and commercial rooftops. DB homes are amongst SolarFuture’s most successful projects and Andrew hopes to see more landlords turn on to this sustainable and cost-saving way to produce electricity. “DB has a fantastic solar PV potential due to the low-rise nature of the buildings and lack of shade,” he says. “The solar panels also act as heat shields, reducing heat build-up on the rooftop and reducing the need for air-conditioning.” On average, SolarFuture helps home owners reduce their carbon emissions by 2,500 to 5,000 kg per year, a promising number that can hopefully become the norm in the not-too-distant future. A testament of SolarFuture’s success, DB homes have shown some even more staggering results – way beyond average. “Some of our DB installations will reduce carbon emissions by up to 9,000 kg in a single year and by 225,000 kg over the 25-year lifespan of the system,” Andrew says with pride. “Our goal is to assist the transition of Hong Kong to green energy and ensure a cleaner, more eco-forward future,” adds Andrew, who observes encouraging trends. “With the introduction of the FiT scheme, electricity contractors like us can collaborate with power companies more easily to support the transition to green energies.” Commonly known as FiT, the Feed-in-Tariff scheme is a government-sponsored initiative that allows people who install solar panels to sell the renewable energy they generate, building their portfolio while contributing to Hong Kong’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2050. Andrew, for one, foresees solar energy-use becoming mainstream in the not-too-distant future, and he hopes that more DBers will make the transition, home owners, yes, but also local schools and businesses. “Solar PV does not produce pollution when generating electricity. Instead, the estimate of the emissions generated during the production of a Solar PV panel is spread across the electricity generated by the panel over its 25-year lifespan. Using this renewable form of energy can definitely increase the CSR credentials of companies and individuals.” he concludes.

COMMUNITY-WIDE INITIATIVES

While not all of us own a rooftop on which to install solar panelling, we can all do our bit for the environment by choosing to live greener, whether this means cleaning a beach with DB Green (Facebook @DBGreenHK), committing to using less single-use packaging, or eating organic. As Howard Zinn, said: “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”

DB’s low-density residential planning, and the number of parks and open spaces on our doorsteps, is something that draws environmentally involved residents to the resort. The latest green space, DB Community Green Square, launched in April last year, The aim is threefold – to highlight the natural beauty of DB, to encourage residents to participate in healthy outdoor activities, and to enable local experts to share their knowledge about gardening and landscaping and thereby give back.

The square’s area of “community farmland,” is tended jointly by residents and the DB landscape team. The collaborative grows produce (such as corn, squash and tomatoes) to sell at the monthly DB plant markets. Another boon for eco-minded residents? Recycling options in DB are second to none. There are communal separation bins at all villages, clearly labelled for glass, plastic, paper and metal, and we can head to the Green Icon@DB at Parkridge Village to dispose of “harder to recycle” items.

A team from the government-funded Green@Community recycling network comes to DB every Tuesday to collect clean and sorted recyclables, including most plastics/ polyfoam, liquid cartons, electrical appliances, rechargeable batteries and energy-saving lightbulbs and fluorescent tubes.

DB is also way ahead of the curve when it comes to food waste collection. DBSML introduced its first Food Waste Collection Programme a decade ago, to enable residents to dispose of their domestic food waste productively. Under the original programme, food waste collected by residents is transformed into fertiliser, which the DB landscaping team uses for composting.

Moving into 2022, DBSML stepped up its commitment to food waste handling, boosting the measures already in place by implementing the Environmental Protection Department’s (EPD) new pilot scheme on food waste collection.

The aim is to have 1,000 kilogrammes of food waste collected per day, and designated purple bins for domestic food waste collection have been placed in villages across DB. The food waste collection bins are leak-proof, impervious to moisture and fitted with lids that close tightly and securely. Residents are tasked with keeping the collection points in each village clean and tidy, and disposing of their food waste properly.

The EPD collects domestic food waste on a daily basis from DB and transports it to O•PARK1 in Siu Ho Wan (Hong Kong’s first organic resources recovery centre) for recycling.

In addition, DB is already on track with regard to the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Charging Scheme, which is expected to be fully implemented in Hong Kong in March 2023. In line with the ‘polluter-pays’ principle, charges will be based on the quantity of waste generated by each household. The idea is that as people become more aware that waste disposal comes with a cost, they will work harder to reduce and recycle. DBSML launched a trial on the MSW Charging Scheme at Siena 2 and Headland Village in August 2021. Under the trial, participating residents are not required to pay but they can experience how the scheme operates and predict how much they will need to pay when it is in place. One thing’s for sure, there are numerous ways all of us can live green in DB. This month, why not recommit to recycling (it really does all need to be cleaned and sorted before you bin it) and perhaps even spare an hour or two to clean a beach.