The Used Clothes Collection program has been established by The Conservancy Association since 2000. The main objectives of the scheme are to reduce textile wastage by providing a used clothes collection platform for schools, housing estates and the community; and encourage people to donate their clothes for reuse. A total of 94 housing estates are currently enrolled in the Used Clothes Collection – Get Fund Scheme. Reward points accumulated from the collection of used clothes could be reimbursed as eco-friendly gifts, eco-tours or educational activities to raise the public’s awareness on environmental protection.
A number of housing estates redeemed their reward points in exchange for eco-tours prior to the summer months and visited eco-routes in Lung Fu Shan, Lamma Island and Aberdeen Country Park. Schedule tours throughout April and May were affected by heavy rain and/or hot weather conditions. Nevertheless, all participants were well-prepared and showed great enthusiasm for the trip! They listened to the tour guides intently and learnt more about native plants and various insect species by following instructions to experience wildlife and nature gently without hurting it or getting hurt. Such experiences also allowed them to know more about the different characteristics and functions of the plants. Certain route is enriched with history as well, so that participants would know more about the situation of Hong Kong during World War II from the tour guides’ narrations. We believed that participants have obtained a better understanding on local history, ecology as well as the importance of maintaining the harmony amongst humans and nature in the process.
