Sports park not serving up green group's cup of tea

Marcus Lum and Ayra Wang

A green group has urged the implementation of a reusable cup borrowing system after estimating that Kai Tak Sports Park's main stadium would distribute over 1.21 million disposable utensils annually.

Greenpeace campaigner Leanne Tam Wing-lam said yesterday that an inspection revealed over 12,000 disposable utensils were distributed during the Lunar New Year Cup 2025, with disposable cups and lids making up 72 percent of that total.

Tam said that underscored the excessive use of disposable cups at major events, calling for a shift toward a reusable cup borrowing system.

As Hong Kong's premier events venue, the park should lead the way, she argued, urging the SAR administration to allocate HK$10 million to support the establishment of such a system.

"Replacing disposables with reusables is a long-established global trend in waste reduction," Tam said, adding that Hong Kong Stadium in Causeway Bay has offered such a service during Rugby Sevens events.

She also said a reusable cup program previously implemented by Greenpeace has proven effective.

That came as merchants at Kai Tak Mall reported struggling business in the lead-up to the official opening of the park next month.

The mall, which began trial operations in December, features around 200 shops and restaurants, including 30 internationally recognized sports brands.

However, one clothing shop owner expressed disappointment, saying sales are "far lower" than those at its branch in Airside, a shopping center close to Kai Tak MTR station.

"I regret setting up a branch in the mall; the administration has done insufficient work to promote it," the owner said.

An employee from a roller skating supplies store echoed the concerns, saying foot traffic on weekdays was minimal.

He added that many shops in Kai Tak Mall are similar to those in Airside, leading people to avoid visiting it specifically for shopping.