Hong Kong hides an antiquated waste disposal network in the bowels of some of the world's priciest real estate that shames its image of a World City.
Basements are crammed with rubbish bags that burst open when they land at the bottom of chutes. Stinking bins overflow in lobbies of buildings. Mounds of rubbish collecting on pavements are an eyesore. Unhygienic liquid waste leaks into streets.
'Hong Kong may be a World City, but not when it comes to waste disposal,' said Hans Strom, Asia president for Envac, a company specialising in automated waste collection. 'Garbage disposal is a lot worse than many other places in the world.'
Mr Strom is convinced that Envac has the solution - to channel waste underground - if only the government and local developers could be persuaded to adopt it.
The Swedish corporation has been pioneering an 'invisible solution for environmentally sustainable waste handling' since the 1960s. It has installed more than 600 rubbish disposal systems in more than 30 countries.
The automatic refuse collection system technology can extend over 1km and can be applied 'anywhere that waste is generated', from housing developments and city centres to shopping malls, airports and hospitals.