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Painless paper cuts
- Part two of DFAP's report on Force green management
 Paper clipped: Clearing some of the tonnes of used Force paper for recycling |
Director of Finance, Administration and Planning Keith Kwok Ka-keung said apart from huge reductions in power costs over the last 18 months, the Force's environmental efforts have also brought about sizeable cuts in paper consumption.
"We had very high consumption of some 251,921 reams of paper in the 1998 calendar year, but for 1999 we had reduced this by 17.3 per cent to 208,272 reams. The mid-year consumption for 1999 was 91,657 reams and indications are that we will be able to achieve a saving of about 15 per cent this year," Mr Kwok said.
"We are not only saving our own paper, but also that of our suppliers. We have cut down on the number of newspapers and periodicals we purchase and replaced them with electronic versions. Readers also get quicker access to them, not having to wait for circulated copies, particularly those in heavy demand. Indeed many readers of this article will look at the online version."
The Force has played an active part in recycling waste paper since March 1993 but beefed up its efforts in 1998 following a staff suggestion in which 700 large containers were purchased and issued to formations to store scrap paper for collection by a recycling contractor. In 1998 the contractor salvaged almost 203 tonnes of paper but in 1999 this rose 27 per cent to 258.6 tonnes. For the first half of 2000, some 131 tonnes had been collected.
Mr Kwok said there had been a heartening response from formations to the green management initiatives call, and recently Kowloon East Region organised the recovery of aluminium cans from all its canteens and messes. The Force has ordered 58 large containers for other formations that wish to adopt the same plan. The proceeds from recycling waste paper and aluminium cans go into Government coffers rather than Force funds but in the long run it is the community that benefits, he said.
"All green management initiatives are, in fact, investments in our future. Many of the measures we are taking now will enable our successors to enjoy a healthier and more pleasant working environment," Mr Kwok said. There can be no more striking examples of this than the new buildings which will be coming on stream. The new Police Headquarters, Kowloon West and New Territories South Regional Headquarters and Operational Bases will literally be 'rocket-science' buildings. Designs for these feature the latest energy conservation technology, including a building envelope to reduce heat gain, infrared sensors to control air-conditioning and lighting levels, and group control systems to optimise lift use. Indeed so rapid is the development of energy conservation technology that the new buildings may well feature advances not yet invented."
Mr Kwok thanked Force staff for their green efforts and appealed for their continued support.
"Keep up the good work, and let us have more innovative ideas. Do not hold back. Many simple ideas produce the best results. Where would we be without the humble paper clip or post-it note?"