The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens was held on 7-9 April 2017 at the Hong Kong Stadium. To promote recycling during the Hong Kong Sevens, the Green Sevens Student Programme was run in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU). The programme was led by Dr Wanxin Li and a group of students from the Department of Public Policy majoring in Environmental Policy.

Fion LAM, one of the green ambassadors, said that with a limited budget, they had designed a recycling bin to facilitate the idea of Green Sevens. The recycling bin was constructed of discarded materials including an old tyre and a plastic barrel, and its shape delivered the symbolic meaning of “touchdown” in rugby. The new design of the recycling bin was designed to grab people’s attention on recycling.

In addition to designing the recycling bin, the students also worked as a marketing team to write the financial proposal for funding, promote the programme, recruit the Green Ambassadors, deliver presentations and form contingency plans. “Although we can’t say that we have done a perfect job in organising this programme, we are privileged to have this valuable opportunity to learn from working and communicating with different parties, including the College Office of CLASS and the sustainability team of CityU,” said Fion.

The students look forward to holding a similar programme next year in order to encourage more recycling of plastic waste.

Cover Photo: The Green Ambassadors promoted recycling with “Big Waster” during the 2017 Hong Kong Sevens.

Photo 2: A recycling bin made out of an old tyre and a plastic barrel was placed next to other bins to collect plastic waste.