The 5Rs principle (Replace, Reduce, Reuse, Recover and Recycle) is fundamental to our resources conservation and waste management policies. We apply the principle at every stage of our operations to minimise the impact of our activities on the environment. At the same time, we continue to explore innovative ways to enhance our work in this area. In 2007, we increased the types of used materials collected for recycling or reuse in Hong Kong to 14. These included paper, metal drums, spent catalyst, plastic chemical drums, spent laser toner cartridges, computers, polystyrene foam, retired safety helmets, used gas appliances and spare parts, obsolete rechargeable batteries, old gas meters, used CDs/DVDs, retired uniforms, used polyethylene pipes, etc.

Major types of used materials collected in Hong Kong	2007	2006
Spent catalyst for metal recovery (Metric tonnes)	23.0	56.8
Metal from used residential, commercial and industrial appliances under the Used Appliance Recycling Programme (Metric tonnes)	1,091	1,198
Polyfoam packaging materials avoided (Metric tonnes)	4.45	5.4

Collection and recycling of these materials require well-organised logistical arrangements as well as sophisticated technology. For example, recovery of special metals from our spent catalyst for reuse involves collection of the materials in Hong Kong, which are then packed in specific conditions for shipment, with the metal recovery process being undertaken overseas using complex metallurgy technology.

Waste reduction measures are also being promoted in our mainland JVs. Wuhan Natural Gas, for instance, has launched a paperless office campaign. Employees are encouraged to use electronic communications to save as much paper as possible. The initiative was so successful that it reduced the consumption of A4 and A3 sized paper by 23% and 38% respectively as compared to 2006.