Kwok Wai Man (China, Hong Kong SAR)


Kwok Wai Man

 

Editor: Chan Ka Man/Chu Suet Ying

Kwok Wai Man is a Coordinator of Food Recycle Land in Cheung Chau and organized by Cheung Chau Island Women’s Association. Food Recycle Land is the Project of food waste management. The reason of starting the project is they realized the serious problem of food waste in Hong Kong.

They started the project of collect the food waste in the community after they obtained the funding from Environment and Conservation Fund in 2012. The idea of the project is to implement food waste recovery in Cheung Chau by setting up a composter, and promote the use of fertilisers in the community. There are set up the farms in the centre and turn the food waste into compost to use back in the farms.

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Kwok mentioned that the beginning is the most difficult part of the project. She concerns about the reaction of the Cheung Chau resident, they need to consider a lot of method carefully to practice the plan, including the hygiene of food waste, the collecting time and place, etc. Finally, she found the solution is practice everything in the short time, as far as possible to decrease the negative impact for the residents.

Moreover, after the process of solve the practical problem, Kwok said that it is the time to attract the residents to become the project participants. She used the method of repeated explanation to cause their notice, and the Cheung Chau residents are curious about what are you doing when you collect the food waste on the street. They are willing to listen if you talk with them. Kwok thinks the features of Cheung Chau are one of the reasons to make the project successful. She appreciates the neighborhood relations in Cheung Chau because she knows that the participants would share the project with others, and make more and more residents to join the project. The neighbors also willing to help others to take the food waste collection box to them, it was made her surprising.

Kwok and her partners are pleased to the effect of project. The project was started with 30 families, and now with more 800 families in Cheung Chau had participated. Their center’s farms are the chances for people to cultivate their own plants. They will also bring the messages for the participants through the process of activities. Finally, Kwok’s vision is everyone can treasure the food, and understand the environmental problem of nowadays society. She knows it is our responsibility to help the society become better.

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