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Andrea Pawlyna

As environmental awareness continues to spread throughout the world, the third annual Eco Expo Asia gets under way amid growing recognition of its status as a 'green hub' for all that is new in environmental protection.
Commercial, governmental and non-governmental organisations are showcasing their exhibits at the fair, which runs from today until Friday  at AsiaWorld-Expo.
Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)  and Messe Frankfurt (HK),  the event is the only trade fair in Hong Kong dedicated to products and services for environmental protection.
'Eco Expo Asia allows exhibitors to gain exposure for their brands, examine environmental trends and meet international and local buyers,' said Raymond Yip,  assistant executive director of the HKTDC.
'Numerous business opportunities exist on every level, from governmental and commercial to individual consumption.'
Last year, more than 130 exhibitors took part in the fair.
This year, the fair is divided into four sections - air quality, eco-friendly products, energy efficiency and waste and recycling - to make it easier for visitors to find the products they want.
Air quality features products and services related to air pollution and emission control, air purification, filtration and deodorisation technology and equipment, desulphurisation and dust-control technology and equipment, gas, smoke and chemical monitoring, and treatment equipment.
Under energy efficiency are applications in architecture, energy-efficient vehicles and energy-saving devices and products.
Eco-friendly products include biodegradable raw materials, biodegradable and recycled products and packaging, eco-friendly materials for construction and fitting and 'green' decorative materials.
Waste and recycling focuses on biological treatment equipment, oil-recycling technology and equipment, solid waste treatment, incineration and recycling systems, waste-water recycling technology and equipment, along with exhibits that focus on transport, collection and sorting of waste.
First-time exhibitor Microdust (HK),  a Japanese-owned company which specialises in cleaning air ducts, is looking forward to promoting its services at the fair. 'We are in the indoor air quality business and we want to let people know about our services,' said Henry Chan, the company's project manager.
'Not that many companies are aware of the need to clean their air ducts on a regular basis. When the ducts are cleaned, the bacteria count and respirable suspended particles will be lower and the air-conditioning will improve too.'
Microdust provides development, consultation and related services to help its clients, which include government departments, statutory bodies and private companies, protect their indoor air environment.
'We use state-of-the-art duct-cleaning equipment. For hard-to-reach places, we have special tools like robots and mechanical brushes,' Mr Chan added.
He said he hoped the company could exchange information with other exhibitors so that 'we can co-operate with each other'.
Exhibiting for the second year, the Fintrade-Mercer Group  hopes the fair will help it extend its reach in Asia.
The Finnish-owned, Hong Kong-based, company specialises in wind power, biofuels and recovering reusable materials, such as lead, silver and gold, from electronic waste.
'We transfer technology from Finland to our clients in Asia, and we localise the projects as much as possible,' said Jari Vepsalainen, the company chairman.
The company has projects in Malaysia, India, Singapore and the mainland.
Mr Vepsalainen said the mainland was the world's biggest user of wind power.
His company is building a factory in Sichuan province to produce wind turbines.
Last year's fair proved valuable for the firm.
'We not only met people from Hong Kong and the mainland but there were people from Japan, South Korea, India and the whole of Asia. 'We are expecting a group of government officials from Australia this year.
'What is different about this fair is that the real experts come, the professionals. It's a good step forward for Hong Kong,' he said.
This year's Eco Asia Conference, which runs concurrently with the fair and features a panel of top international environmental experts, will take place today and tomorrow  at AsiaWorld-Expo.
The two-day event is led by Mike Stokoe,  former deputy director of the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department.
The keynote speaker is Anissa Wong Sean-yee,  Hong Kong's permanent secretary for the environment and director of environmental protection,  who has been an active member of the Hong Kong government since the 1970s.
Four panels will cover energy efficiency, air quality, waste management and recycling, and green building. The session on energy efficiency, held from 2pm to 4.15pm today,  will focus on the efficient use of resources and sustainable energy.
Technology on direct alcohol fuel cells and biofuels from waste and non-edible feedstocks will be highlighted.
Speakers at the air quality panel, to be held tomorrow  from 10.45am to 12.30pm, will offer guidance to those interested in addressing air quality issues in Hong Kong and the surrounding region.
Action to reduce waste by encouraging efficiency, or the recovery, and reuse of discarded materials will be the topic in the waste management and recycling panel, to be held tomorrow  from 1.30pm to 3.15pm.
In the panel on 'green' buildings, tomorrow  from 3.15pm to 5pm, experts from Hong Kong will provide their thoughts on the importance of developing detailed plans to help create sustainable buildings.
In addition, several internationally known environmental experts will speak at the Eco Asia Conference.
Annette Ochs,  a leading specialist in waste management and recycling and who is the department head of biological treatment at the Federation of German Waste Management Industries,  will speak tomorrow  from 2pm to 2.30pm on organic waste recycling and energy recovery in Germany.
Martin Mittelbach,  of the University of Graz in Austria,  will discuss ways of implementing biofuels from waste and non-edible foodstocks in his speech today  from 2.30pm to 3pm.
The Japan Environmental Industry Forum  also kicks off today  at 3.45pm with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Takeo Abe,  mayor of Kawasaki City,  and Fred Lam,  executive director of the HKTDC.
Slated to speak at the forum, which continues until 6pm, are Mr Abe and Michinori Kutami,  general manager of corporate environmental affairs at Fujitsu.
They will be followed by two companies that will introduce Japan's latest environmental products and technology.



All eyes on 'green' exhibition