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According to the Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong – Waste Statistics for 2022 report published by the Environmental Protection Department of the HKSAR Government [1], on average 207 tonnes of wood as municipal solid waste (MSW) were disposed of at landfills daily in Hong Kong, with the main source of waste being construction and yard waste, and only 11.8 tonnes (0.6%) of them were recycled locally.
A local startup, HM Environmental Technologies specialises in reclaiming used wood and, after processing them with recycled plastic, upcycling them into green plastic-wood, so as to increase the recycling of wood and plastic waste, and to reduce carbon emissions from logistics by reducing the demand of construction materials imported.
| HM Environmental Technologies Limited (hereafter “HM”) was founded by Jerry Kong in 2016. The mission of the company is to reduce waste, promote recycling and upcycling of wood waste, and eventually reduce the destruction of natural habitats. Through projects making use of green innovative technologies and smart construction materials solutions, HM hopes to educate the public and gradually build a green culture locally. The company offers a variety of products and services, from recycling used wood, upcycling wood into hoardings, multi-purpose wood boards and smart hoarding systems, to rental service of hoardings for shopping malls and outdoor shopfronts. They also partner with government departments, property developers, shopping malls and construction sites. The pioneering innovative solutions of HM have garnered a number of green awards including Gold Award in the Reborn! Upcycling Design Award 2023 of JCI Hong Kong Jayceettes, Certificate of Merit (2021) and Silver Award (2022) in the SME – Construction, Manufacturing and Industrial Services category of Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence, and Bronze in the 2021 Hong Kong Green Innovations Awards. HM was also a startup incubated by Eureka Nova of New World Group in 2020. |
Achieving Sustainability through Partnering with the Government and Turning Innovative Green Concepts into Viable Solutions
[Innovation]
Founder Jerry Kong explained their main product, a type of green plastic-wood. “With a 10,000-sq. ft. factory in Fanling starting from 2021 to 2023, we recycle used wood from building sites, process them with our original innovative technology, which grinds wood into wood powder, mixes the powder with recycled plastic particles in 50/50 proportion, and hot-presses them under 200°C to mould. It takes merely 3 to 5 minutes to produce a 2-metre-long plastic-wood.” The “locally recycled and locally made” operation model also creates less carbon emissions than similar products in the market.
What are the advantages of the green plastic-wood? “We partnered with the design centre of Innovation and Technology Fund and the government’s research centre to research and develop innovative formulae (This patented material has been used in the Hong Kong Science Park, North Lantau Hospital and Sam Shing Street projects in Tuen Mun),” continued Jerry. “The result is that our ‘new wood’ is anti-bacteria, anti-mould, anti-mosquito, low in moisture absorption, and having a natural wood scent. It also has a longer product life, to which it could be recycled from twice to indefinitely, reducing waste and pressure on the landfill – very eco-friendly.”
Acting on the United Nations’ goals in cutting global emissions, HM has already recycled over 45 tonnes of wood waste locally (until 2023), which is equivalent to saving 200 trees, proving that they have turned sustainability concepts into viable solutions while also achieving waste reduction, upcycling and innovation of local green building materials.
In order to integrate the development concept of the Greater Bay Area, HM has moved its production lines to the Greater Bay Area in 2024.
Achieving Sustainability through Partnering with the Government and Turning Innovative Green Concepts into Viable Solutions
[Customer Supplier Relationship]
For corporate clients, HM is not only a recycling company, but a vendor that helps them achieve ESG goals. And the key is a “two-way” business operation model. Jerry explained, “By ‘two-way’ it means we recycle usable wood waste from our client and provide them with upcycled products and services they need to make full use of resources and reduce waste, which creates a win-win situation. So we collect waste from clients, process by ourselves in the factory, make them into green project materials that the clients need, and recycle the materials again after use. This is a circular economy, and it helps reduce waste to landfills and reduce emissions involved.”
“For recycling, apart from the recycling service of second-hand wood, we collect actively yard waste from the Y·PARK in Tuen Mun; we then process the waste into upcycled wood panels and provide them to clients. For example, the Civil Engineering and Development Department also used our plastic-wood for the enhancement of Lantau hiking trails and building the Nei Lak Shan viewing point.” Jerry added, “But what we look forward to most is clients’ embracing the two-way model.”
“A great example being the face-lift renovation project of Three Pacific Place by Swire Properties Management Limited, HM’s smart hoardings were used for the flooring, which in turn reduced as many as 6 tonnes of emissions. The hoardings were then recycled, processed and upcycled in our factory – which we also applied for a patent for the technology.” Jerry added, “In the coming 5 to 10 years, I personally want to create IDs for our wood, so that our clients and the public can trace the source and number of times being recycled of our products. This will increase transparency and help improve data analysis, therefore promotes and facilitates the certification of green building.”
To conclude, Jerry said, “(Achieving) ESG or SDGs aside, to realise the ‘Made in Hong Kong’ green architecture future, we will need joint effort of our work and the support from clients and the government, along with the expansion of development space brought by green technology and the enhanced effort in attracting new talents in the industry.”
HM Environmental Technologies Limited is one of the winners of Reborn! Upcycling Product Design Award 2023. The Award aims to provide exposure opportunities for upcycling designers and businesses, to encourage sustainable development and environmental protection, and to be inspired by exchanging ideas with government groups, corporates, and environmental groups. The Award is initiated by Junior Chamber International (JCI) Hong Kong Jayceettes, and the Centre for Civil Society and Governance, The University of Hong Kong, is the strategic partner.
[1] www.wastereduction.gov.hk/sites/default/files/resources_centre/waste_statistics/msw2022_eng.pdf
