Special Stamp Issue - "Hong Kong Insects II"
Hongkong Post is committed to promoting green management throughout the department. Our Environmental Enhancement Steering Committee is tasked to oversee the efficient use of resources and implement energy-saving measures in the department. Building on the achievements in recent years, Hongkong Post has continued to make good progress in promoting green management and energy saving. Key initiatives implemented are set out below:
Hongkong Post complies with the Government’s recommendation to maintain the indoor air temperature at 25.5o C, and closely monitors energy consumption at all premises. We maintain a good standard of indoor air quality at all post offices. Regular inspections are conducted by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) and environmental improvement measures are incorporated into all new building works. In support of the Hong Kong International Airport Carbon Reduction Programmes, we monitor carbon emissions at our Air Mail Centre at Chek Lap Kok.
We also closely control the use of photocopying paper and encourage staff to exercise economy in making physical copies of documents. We make use of the Hongkong Post website and mobile application to disseminate postal information and news to the public. When printing our service leaflets, we use paper made from wood pulp derived from sustainable forests as far as practicable.
Hongkong Post’s vehicles adopt various measures to improve fuel efficiency, including the use of unleaded, low-sulphur fuel. Environmentally-friendly vehicles such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas vehicles, electric vehicles and trucks that meet Euro V standards have been added to our fleet. In some rural areas, bicycles are used for mail delivery. All vehicles that serve Hongkong Post, including those provided by contractors, are required to fully comply with the statutory measures to switch off vehicle engines while waiting.
Hongkong Post engages the service of the EMSD to ensure that our postal vehicles are well-maintained and have minimal environmental impact. The EMSD’s Environmental Management System conforms to internationally recognised ISO 14001 standards.
We use environmentally-friendly paper to print our philatelic products, including first day covers and souvenir covers. In addition, all stamps are printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Mix paper, which is sourced from forests that operate with strict FSC environmental guidelines and is easily recycled.
A set of six special stamps on the theme of “Hong Kong Insects II”, featuring precious insect species found in Hong Kong, was issued in November 2012 to raise public awareness of the city’s biodiversity.
Special Stamp Issue - "Hong Kong Insects II"
As at March 2013, over 15,700 local standing order customers and 1,500 overseas mail order customers had registered for online stamp purchases via Stamp OnNet. In addition, over 23,500 LSOS customers had chosen to receive philatelic newsletters and stamp order collection letters by email. We will continue to promote the adoption of these green practices among our philately customers.
We offered two environmentally-friendly canvas bags bearing Lunar New Year stamp designs and hand-made by local social enterprises for sale to help reduce the use of plastic shopping bags.
Our vocational training programmes include an environmental protection module to introduce staff to the corporate Environmental Management System and provide useful tips on energy saving. In 2012/13, 785 staff members took this module. Seminars, workshops and visits on various environmental issues were conducted regularly for staff. Our staff also attended briefing sessions organised by other organisations, e.g. briefings on “Pre-wet Season Precautionary Tree Management Measures 2012” and “Proper Tree Management” organised by the Greening, Landscape and Tree Management Section of the Development Bureau and the “Energy Efficiency and Conservation Public Seminar” organised by the EMSD.
Environmental protection issues regularly feature in management and staff briefings and employees are encouraged to contribute ideas to environmental protection initiatives. In addition, we regularly circulate internal environmental guidelines among our staff and encourage them to put environmental protection measures into practice, both in the workplace and at home.
In 2012/13, Hongkong Post participated in various environmental campaigns organised by other organisations, including the “Green Day” by The Community Chest, “Hong Kong No Air-Con Night” by the Green Sense and “Earth Hour 2013” by the World Wide Fund for Nature, and the “Tree Planting Challenge 2012” organised by the Friends of the Earth (HK).
Hongkong Post colleagues planted more than 60 trees in the Tree-Planting Challenge 2012