Bill Lee, Cathay Pacific
Bill is a keen supporter of Cathay Pacific’s environmental “Clean and Green” project. He encourages his department’s staff to clear unnecessary items from desks, recycling paper, reducing the use of stationery, and adding green plants to office desks. He addresses the issues of increasing air quality with green plants and reducing and recycling stationery use.
Bill’s boss encouraged him to take action, as he has always been concerned about the environment in his daily life – he keeps waste separated etc. “If we don’t care, we may affect the world, and that would be a tragedy.”
More than 15 years ago there was no environmental department within the company, so he set up one of the first paper recycling boxes in the company, and sold its waste to a recycling company.
“My belief in ‘doing the right thing’ drove me to keep going, eliminating resistance, and knowing that removing excess stuff in the office would reduce injuries!”
Progress
Locally in Hong Kong: People use less paper, and are more aware of the environment.
In the short-term plants were added to improve the air quality immediately, and paper-saving was initiated. In the long-term, he motivated awareness about all recycling and reducing use.
“People always use too much, and convenience is always their top priority. For example, the bags used for shopping most people don’t re-use.”
Cathay Pacific also runs a carbon offset program, and they have a project team for the inflight recycling of cans, bottles, PVC cups etc.
“I hope to see more green plants for Hong Kong, to see a blue sky, fewer high-rise buildings, more space between buildings and less reclaimed land in Hong Kong’s harbour.”
