ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Our Environmental Protection Policy guides us in managing the consumption of resources and reducing the environmental impact stemming from our daily operations.
FEATURE STORY
As part of our effort to conserve natural resources and enhance operational efficiency, we introduced an electronic invoicing system (“e-invoice”) at our POS in FY2019. Prior to implementation, we provided all our frontline staff with training to ensure they understand the objectives of this initiative. We also set a trial period to refine the system before its formal launch.
The initiative has been running since May 2018, and received positive feedback from our staff not only because it protects the environment but also it enhances the customer experience by saving the time required for printing paper invoices. The initiative created a positive impact with 40% of invoices issued being e-invoices, and 11,900,000 pieces of paper were saved in Mainland China. Our goal is to further increase the percentage of invoice digitalisation to 70% in FY2020.
In Mainland China, we collaborated with our long-term partner, the Society of Entrepreneurs & Ecology Foundation (“SEE Foundation”), between September to December 2018 on a conservation programme. For each piece of paper saved, RMB¥1 was donated, and a total donation equivalent to around HK$1.8 million was made to support the reforestation programme of desertification areas in Mainland China. In Hong Kong, we also collaborated with the Green Council to engage our customers with a similar programme.
“Using e-invoice brings environmental benefits by reducing our paper consumption. Our customers appreciate our environmental conservation efforts and welcome this measure as the whole payment process is streamlined, taking only one minute.”
Vincent Yan, Frontline staff, Hong Kong
“Within six months, we had already achieved a very high engagement because our staff are aware of the pressing issue of deforestation in Mainland China and they wholeheartedly support this initiative.”
Xiaolong Tang , Senior Project Manager, Shenzhen
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.
- 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
- 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
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
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
- 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
