Journalists, normally paid to see through crap, have been given the opportunity to get up close and personal with it in the lead-up to the Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has taken local media to see how stable waste and horse manure from the Olympic equestrian venues at Sha Tin and Beas River will be recycled to produce environmentally-friendly, organic fertiliser.
 The media group was impressed by the recycling project, in which earthworm vermicomposting will be used to recycle the waste.
John Ridley, the club's Head of Racing Operations, explained the project and was interviewed by the press at the recycling plant.
The club has adopted a policy of recycling all its horse manure and stable waste into environmentally friendly fertiliser and pledged that 100% of the Olympic and racing stables waste will be recycled. |
During the tour of the Yuen Long plant, the media group was reportedly very impressed by the recycling project, in which earthworm vermicomposting will be used to recycle the waste.
At the plant, John Ridley, who is the club's head of racing operations, together with the managers of the recycling firm behind the project, explained its workings and were interviewed by the press.
The club has already been declared "Outstanding Contributor, Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Equestrian Events" in recognition of the world-class venues and facilities it has provided, but the club is also fully committed to protection of the environment and making a "Green Olympics" for Hong Kong.
The stable waste recycling programme was first put into use during an eventing competition in August last year, which served as a test event for the 2008 Olympic equestrian events.
Each day, 10 tonnes of waste from the Olympic stables was sent to the recycling plant where it was fed to earthworms and recycled into organic fertiliser.
During the Olympic equestrian events this coming August, all stable waste will go through similar recycling treatment. The club has already pledged that 100% of the Olympic stable waste will be recycled and it is anticipated that more than 30 tonnes of waste will be processed daily.
The same initiative is also now being applied to horse racing in Hong Kong, with more than 30 tonnes of stable waste from racehorses being recycled each day.
By August 2008, 50% of racehorse stable waste will be recycled and the ultimate aim is to recycle 100%.
The recycling process takes two to three weeks and the resulting organic fertiliser can be used on the turf and gardens at the club's racecourses, as well as at local organic farms and households, completing the environmental conservation loop.
The project also helps slow down the overloading of landfills in Hong Kong, reducing the creation of non-environmentally-friendly gases in the landfills and so lessening the greenhouse effect.
Facebook page
Twitter
HOME SITES 
