Sustainability Report 2015/16

Materials and Water Use The Group believes that sourcing sustainable materials and using them responsibly is essential to providing environmentally responsible goods and services. In view of this, the Group has developed effective procurement processes and has monitored closely material consumption to ensure sustainable provisioning. In support of the Hong Kong Water Supplies Department’s Let’s Save 10L Water campaign, the Group has encouraged wise use of water for its head office, property management subsidiaries and selected commercial and residential developments. The Group has also taken a number of measures to minimize water consumption along with its development, such as applying technologies like early-warning leakage and automatic toilet sensors, and conducting regular plumbing inspections to avoid waste. Water from other sources has been used to reduce reliance on fresh and flushing water supplies. For example, International Commerce Centre has built a tank to collect rainwater, which is used for watering plants and other purposes, saving approximately 100,000 L of fresh water every year. And both International Commerce Centre and Grand Central Plaza use water discharged from cooling towers and air-conditioning systems for flushing water. This is estimated to have reduced Grand Central Plaza’s water consumption by 20%. Waste Management The Group supports waste management and reduction targets in the government’s Hong Kong Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-2022, and has introduced various programmes to reduce solid municipal waste sent to landfills. A tiered approach to waste management has been adopted, from managing the property development processes to prioritizing waste avoidance, reuse and recycling. Avoiding or minimizing waste generation at development projects requires thorough planning and practices. The Group uses computer modelling to simulate environmental impacts and identify unnecessary abortive work. Recycled material is used on site as foundation fill wherever possible. The Group produced over 370,000 tonnes of construction waste this year, with nearly 74% being recycled, saving an estimated HK$7.4 million on disposal 1 . Apart from construction, the Group recycled more than 2,700 tonnes of paper this year. Ranging from plastics to food, we strive to divert municipal solid waste from landfills with various programmes. In particular, recycled metal increased fourfold compared to last year. The Group has food waste composters in some developments to turn leftovers into organic fertilizer for its gardens and organic farms run by NGO partners and local schools. Park Island is a Hong Kong pioneer in comprehensive food waste management (see the Park Island case study for details of food waste management). In its capacity as property manager, the Group encourages tenants, customers and residents to separate waste at source. Waste management programmes, including comprehensive recycling and reuse schemes as well as seasonal and special campaigns, are run to help manage and reduce waste effectively. A concerted effort by the Group and its employees has earned 275 Wastewi$e certificates for properties owned or managed. The Group’s property management subsidiaries received the following awards, certificates and labels in recognition of outstanding environmental sustainability achievements: Gold Award in the 2015 HSBC Living Business Awards (Green Achievement category) 2015 Eco Enterprise by Capital magazine 2016 Eco Brand Award from East Week magazine Gold Award in the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (Property Management – Commercial and Industrial) Bronze Award in the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (Property Management – Residential) Outstanding Social Caring Organization under the Social Enterprise Research Institute Social Caring Pledge scheme 2015 Power Smart designation from Friends of the Earth Property Eco Management Award in the 2015 Sing Tao Service Awards 2016 Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand 1 The amount saved by recycling construction waste is estimated based on the unit charge for disposing of construction waste to public fills in Hong Kong (HK$27/tonne). Value Created for the Environment Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited Sustainability Report 2015/16 16