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In sync with ‘Earth Day’ on April 22, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort unveils an ‘Earth Month’ celebration to spread environmental messages to guests and cast members in a fun way.
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For 15 years, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL) has been committed to environmental protection in its daily operation and various campaigns. Throughout April every year, in celebration of ‘Earth Month’, the Resort designs a series of fun-filled and educational events to inspire and strengthen environmental awareness to all guests and cast members.
This year, the annual event comprises four major projects: presenting the HKDL’s solar panel system; offering an online virtual horticulture tour on social media platform; sharing the efforts at green waste recycling; and coastal cleaning by their dedicated volunteer team.
Hong Kong’s largest solar panel system
As one of the most powerful renewable resources, solar energy plays a significant role in HKDL's strategy and development. Since 2018, the Resort has progressively installed a large-scale solar panel system, and the first three phases will be completed in the middle of this year.
Currently, HKDL has installed over 5,000 solar panels at the rooftop of 20 buildings at the Resort, making it the single largest solar panel site in Hong Kong. The total power generation is expected to reach approximately 2.36 million kWh, equivalent to the annual assumption of 715 three-person households. Thanks to their professional team work and contribution, the solar power system has gained recognition by the government and the industry, including the solar system role model award from EMSD and the Smart Energy Award – Renewable Energy from CLP.
During the ‘Earth Month’, the Managing Director of HKDL Michael Moriarty, together with the professional HKDL team, led special guests to visit the solar power system installed on the rooftop of its attraction facility ‘It’s a small world’, as well as sharing its operation and functions.
The guests include the US Consul General Hanscom Smith; along with Professor Davis Bookhart from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s Sustainability Unit and students from the Environmental Management and Technology Program. HKDL team took the opportunity to share the achievements on renewable energy through solar panel systems, and promote the importance of sustainable energy to the group.
Green Living at Disney – virtual horticulture tour
Specially designed for ‘Earth Month’, the Resort has launched its first-ever online virtual tour titled ‘Green Living @Disney’ on social media platform. Guided by HKDL’s ambassador Melody, the video allows guests to explore different corners of the Resort and learn more about the concepts behind the plantings.
Every flower and tree in the park is the result of a careful design. The gardeners have arranged the plants according to the lay and purpose of the land, using variety, colour and shape of the plants to create a unique atmosphere.
For instance, in ‘Adventureland’, a forest far away from the civilized world, the plant arrangement would be more natural and they would be chosen for their bigger flowers and leaves in order to create the authentic feel of a tropical rain forest. In ‘Fatasyland’, the flowers and plants there look more tiny and lovely like immersed into a fairy garden.
Green waste recycling
Boasting more than 10,000 trees, HKDL has used its own wood chippers since 2017 for handling yard waste and recycling in-house, turning plant materials into organic mulch to cover the soil of planted areas both on stage and in back-of-house areas, so as to reduce waste loads at landfill
The wood chips serve as a ‘soil conditioner’ to retain soil temperature and moisture, as well as helping to regulate weed and bacteria growth. With the wood chipper program, HKDL gives a second life to tons of decaying woods and fallen leaves which help re-growth in the park.
Sustainable volunteering
In line with the Resort’s mission, HKDL’s volunteer team named as “Disney VoluntEARS” has been actively participating in different major green events, hoping to contribute to the local community and environmental protection.
In mid-April, the team visited the Island House Conservation Studies Centre of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Hong Kong at Tai Po, helping to clean up the shoreline and conduct a marine refuse study to understand the marine waste problem in Hong Kong. Aside from the dedicated team, the management team of HKDL also participated in the cleanup to protect our beautiful shoreline.
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