2022-08-24

Link Pilots Styrofoam Box Recycling in its Fresh Markets to Reduce Landfill Waste


 
 
Hong Kong has limited capacity for processing recyclable materials, and most are transported to Mainland China for proper treatment. However, following the onset of the fifth wave of COVID, traffic between Hong Kong and Mainland China was disrupted.  As a result, Styrofoam boxes, which are used to bring vegetables over the border, began to pile up on streets and around Link’s properties, creating visual nuisance and potential fire hazard. Instead of disposing at the local landfill, Link was committed to finding a better and more responsible solution to avoid wasting useful materials.
 
 


In collaboration with its various stakeholders, Link has placed compacting machines in six of its fresh markets to help process the Styrofoam boxes.
 
 
Link engaged with stakeholders within its ecosystem including fresh market stall operators, cleaning contractors, local NGOs, downstream recyclers, and technology providers to collectively upscale the city’s Styrofoam handling capacity. This was done by placing compacting machines in six of its fresh markets (TKO Market, Lok Fu Market, Sau Mau Ping Market, Tin Shing Market, Wo Che Market and Tai Yuen Market) to reduce the overall volume of the boxes. Link also encouraged its vegetable stall tenants to aid in removing packaging tape on Styrofoam boxes, facilitating the transformation of Styrofoam into valuable and recyclable small solid blocks on the spot.
 


Vegetable stall tenants are removing packaging tape on Styrofoam boxes to facilitate compacting the Styrofoam into valuable small solid blocks.




Compacted small solid blocks made of Styrofoam are perfect for end-of-use manufacturing such as electrical accessories, injection moulding, garbage bags
and composite lumber.
 
By introducing the compacting machines into its properties, Link contributed to Styrofoam waste reduction, with about 700 boxes compacted each day. At the end of March, within a month of operation, Link achieved a recycling rate of nearly 60% for fresh market Styrofoam boxes, preventing over 59,000 boxes from escaping into the environment. The solution not only reduces nuisance and potential fire hazards of storing Styrofoam boxes, but also saves transportation costs of recycling and encourages more downstream recyclers to collect and upcycle Styrofoam for further sale, creating wider environmental and social impacts. 

For more information, please check out Link’s Sustainability Compendium 2021/22 and Corporate Newsletter Channel 823.