FEATURE STORY

Global Innovation Award – Cyanide-free Electroplating Solution

In FY2022, a proposal from our Wuhan production hub to undertake independent research and development of cyanide-free electroplating won first place in our Global Innovation Award. Electroplating is an important production method for applying thin, even layers of precious metals onto jewellery pieces. Many plating baths contain cyanides of other metals (such as potassium cyanide) in addition to cyanides of the metal to be deposited. Since cyanide is a toxic substance that can contaminate drinking water, our team of researchers were determined to investigate other more environmentally responsible techniques.

During the year, the winning team carried out tests to develop a hard gold electroplating potion that does not contain cyanide so it is both safer to use and reduces impact on the environment. By year end, we have already deployed this innovative approach in seven tanks at Wuhan production hub. We have also successfully obtained patents for the potion in the Mainland and Hong Kong in March 2022 and September 2021, respectively.

Green Retail

We have introduced several paperless initiatives in our retail network to reduce waste, such as e-invoices and e-warranty cards. Under a new initiative, those customers who opt not to receive a jewellery box when purchasing online through our official WeChat shop will receive an award of 1,000 credits, amounting to RMB 20.

In the design of Chow Tai Fook's new exquisite shop, we are incorporating elements inspired by forests and trees with the aim of creating a new shopping environment that is simple, natural, and green. We plan to use environmentally-friendly materials for fittingout the new shop, including High Density Polyethylene (“HDPE”) made from recycled bottle caps and water-based porcelain wall film that meets national environmental standards.

31%
Reduction in GHG emissions intensity in FY2022
38%
Reduction in water use intensity in FY2022
36%
Reduction in waste intensity from production in FY2022
CLIMATE CHANGE

We take a focused approach in combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions through energy conservation initiatives at our production hubs and Point of Sales (“POS”), as most of our GHG emissions come from electricity consumption at our production hubs and POS.

At our production hubs
  • Adopt natural lighting where possible, while LED light bulbs and energy-efficient T5 fluorescent tubes are used to reduce electricity consumption
  • Maintain air-conditioning systems at around 25°C to conserve energy
  • Use various environmentally responsible materials to reduce heat transmission and, as a result, greatly reduce air-conditioning demand
  • Install our production machines with timers so that machines switch off automatically or switch to low-speed mode when not in use
At our POS
  • Install LED or compact fluorescent bulbs to conserve electricity
  • Participate in the Charter on External Lighting advocated by the Environmental Protection Bureau of the Government of the HKSAR
AIR EMISSIONS

Our air emissions are mainly generated from our jewellery production process, which primarily comprises moulding, ultrasonic cleaning and hard gold electroforming. Air emissions generated include NOx, SOx, VOCs, dust and acidic gases.

  • Numerous measures are in place to minimise air emissions at different stages of production
  • Conduct air sample tests on poisonous gas levels
  • Install real-time monitoring system in our production hub in Wuhan
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Our jewellery production processes involve the consumption of water for moulding, hard gold electroforming, and gold plating. The production process requires the use of chemical substances containing slight traces of heavy metals and gypsum, which results in the production of acidic, alkaline, and gypsum wastewater discharges.

  • Prioritise water recycling and reuse in our production lines whenever possible
  • Pretreat wastewater prior to discharge in compliance with relevant regulations
  • Engage professional operators to collect, treat, and dispose of liquid chemical waste
WASTE MANAGEMENT
  • Store all hazardous waste in secured containers within well-ventilated hazardous waste storage areas for less than one year
  • Engage licensed contractors to ensure proper treatment and disposal of hazardous waste, and to collect and dispose of unrecyclable paper, food waste, and other daily consumables
  • Provide bins and trays in offices to collect recyclable materials
  • Publish internal communications on digital channels to reduce paper consumption

Our Initiatives

  • Family Environmental Protection Day: We organised a neighbourhood clean-up in Wuhan to foster awareness of environmental issues among the next generation.
  • Online shopping has had a significant impact on the environment due the waste created by delivery boxes. To align with our commitment to waste reduction and responsible sourcing, we require the paper used for our cardboard boxes to come from 100% recycled paper and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (“FSC”).
  • Our production hub in Wuhan was awarded a Platinum Label from WWF's Low Carbon Manufacturing Programme in FY2022. We will extend this programme to our production hubs at other locations.
  • We introduced a new wastewater treatment system at our production hub in Shunde . Utilising technologies like membrane bioreactor (“MBR”), the system is able to process up to 300 tonnes of wastewater into clean water for our koi pond per day
  • We organised “Green Future, We Do” at our Shenzhen Headquarters to encourage behavioural changes among employees around the office. More employees are willing to turn off idled lighting and appliances, which resulted in a considerable reduction in electricity consumption since September 2018
  • We utilise e-warranty cards and FSC-certified carton boxes for e-commerce deliveries. In FY2022, these initiatives have saved an estimated 200 million sheets of paper and protected 5.2 hectares of forest.
Family Environmental Protection Day: We organised a neighbourhood clean-up in Wuhan to foster awareness of environmental issues among the next generation.
Online shopping has had a significant impact on the environment due the waste created by delivery boxes. To align with our commitment to waste reduction and responsible sourcing, we require the paper used for our cardboard boxes to come from 100% recycled paper and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (“FSC”).
Our production hub in Wuhan was awarded a Platinum Label from WWF's Low Carbon Manufacturing Programme in FY2022. We will extend this programme to our production hubs at other locations.
We introduced a new wastewater treatment system at our production hub in Shunde . Utilising technologies like membrane bioreactor (“MBR”), the system is able to process up to 300 tonnes of wastewater into clean water for our koi pond per day
We organised “Green Future, We Do” at our Shenzhen Headquarters to encourage behavioural changes among employees around the office. More employees are willing to turn off idled lighting and appliances, which resulted in a considerable reduction in electricity consumption since September 2018
We utilise e-warranty cards and FSC-certified carton boxes for e-commerce deliveries. In FY2022, these initiatives have saved an estimated 200 million sheets of paper and protected 5.2 hectares of forest.

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