{"id":59068,"date":"2026-06-08T16:40:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T08:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=59068"},"modified":"2026-06-08T16:40:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T08:40:01","slug":"they-were-destined-for-hong-kongs-landfills-a-lifelong-sailor-has-given-them-new-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=59068","title":{"rendered":"They were destined for Hong Kong\u2019s landfills. A lifelong sailor has given them new life"},"content":{"rendered":"


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When Hong Kong was just a fishing village, seafaring was often simply a means to an end. Today, sailing is a leisure activity for the city\u2019s urbanites.<\/p>\n

It is not just the nature of cruising on the water that has evolved: in the mid-20th century, sailcloth \u2013 the cloth used to make sails for ships and boats \u2013 shifted from natural canvas to synthetic fibres and plastic polymers. Although this has made them more durable, lightweight and rot-resistant, these high-performance materials are also non-biodegradable, persisting in the environment long after their original purpose is served.<\/p>\n

\u201cA single sail can weigh up to 50kg [110lbs],\u201d says Ricky Lai Kai-ming, a veteran recreational sailor. \u201cHistorically, in Hong Kong, all retired sails go straight to the landfill. Hong Kong creates too much rubbish.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Ricky<\/div>
Ricky Lai, a veteran recreational sailor and Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club member, has helped the club rethink how it disposes of its nautical waste. Photo: Jonathan Wong<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

According to government data, an average of 1,885 tonnes of plastic waste was disposed of every day in Hong Kong in 2024.<\/p>\n

That year, Lai attended a talk on sustainability at Causeway Bay\u2019s Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club<\/span> (RHKYC), where he has been a member since 1997. As a lifelong sailing enthusiast \u2013 Lai entered the sport more than 30 years ago \u2013 the talk inspired him to revise the way the club handles its nautical waste.<\/div>\n

Stuck in landfill for \u2018thousands of years\u2019<\/h3>\n

Lai, now in his fifties, sees the disposal of retired sailcloth as both an environmental and emotional tragedy. \u201cToday\u2019s high-performance sails are almost a space-age material, impossible to recycle or break down,\u201d he says. \u201cThey will stay in the landfill for thousands of years. And it\u2019s sad to send them there \u2013 these sails have been with their boat owners and their families for many years, for recreation or international tournaments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although there are established commercial operators that specialise in upcycling retired sailcloth into bags and other products, they are mostly based in Europe. The carbon footprint alone to ship the heavy material there from Hong Kong would defeat the purpose of trying to do environmental good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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