Lunar New Year Fair sites cleaned up (with photos)

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (January 31) collected an estimated total of 303 tonnes of refuse in 15 Lunar New Year (LNY) Fair sites throughout Hong Kong, a decrease of roughly 85 tonnes less than last year.

"Among the refuse cleared, some 129 tonnes were collected in the Victoria Park LNY Fair, around 19 tonnes less than last year," an FEHD spokesman said.

Apart from collection of recyclables including waste paper, plastic materials and metal, the spokesman noted that the FEHD had also tried out collection of waste wood at the Victoria Park venue, with about 4 tonnes of discarded plants, bamboo, wooden planks, etc sent to the EcoPark of the Environmental Protection Department at Tuen Mun for recycling.

The department deployed about 230 staff members, 42 refuse collection vehicles and street washing vehicles to clean up the Victoria Park venue. The other 14 LNY Fair sites were cleaned by the department's cleansing contractors.

The department also gathered some 1 224 unsold pots of flowers and plants donated by the vendors in all the fairs. They were delivered free to 195 elderly homes and 8 public hospitals by 22 volunteer teams made up of FEHD staff, the spokesman added.

All refuse collection work was completed at about 6.05pm. After thorough cleansing, the venues were restored to their original state.

Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) staff were deployed to clean up Lunar New Year Fair venues early this morning (January 31) after the fairs ended. Picture shows the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man (first left), accompanied by the Acting Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Laurie Lo (second left), inspecting the clean-up work and showing his support for staff at Victoria Park.

Volunteer teams of FEHD staff today delivered unsold flowers and potted plants donated by the vendors in the fairs to elderly homes and public hospitals. Picture shows Dr Ko (third left) and Mr Lo (second right) in a group photo with representatives of the volunteer teams before they departed from Victoria Park.

A member of the FEHD's volunteer teams delivers a potted plant donated by a vendor to an elderly home.

Ends/Friday, January 31, 2014
Issued at HKT 23:33