MilMill’s New Plant｜Relocation Turns Profits into Debt; FEHD, Fire Services and Police Visit Open Day: “Even at 19–0, You Still Have to Keep Kicking”
喵坊新廠｜遷廠賺錢變負債 辦開放日食環、消防、警上門 「19 比 0 都要繼續踢」
Hong Kong’s only carton recycling plant, MilMill, was scheduled to hold its first open day at its new premises today (the 9th). After more than a year spent relocating and rebuilding following a forced move, the “cat” had spent months preparing to introduce its new home to the public. The event ultimately fell through because it did not have a “place of public entertainment licence”. Over the past week, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Fire Services Department and police visited one after another, saying they had received complaints involving an absence of a “place of public entertainment licence”, “fire hazards” and “unlawful assembly”. MilMill has once again entered the public spotlight. Co-founder Chi Chung Lo joked that the incident had instead “reminded everyone that MilMill is still here”. After the company was forced to relocate, turning from making money to carrying debt, its open day—intended to promote community education—also fell through. Chi Chung Lo said: “Even if it’s 19–0, you still have to keep kicking, unless you’ve closed down; then we’ll just do our own thing.” In the face of adversity, the new plant continues to organise “non-open” group tours, use “cat buses” to engage with the community and promote waste reduction, and nurture people born in the 1990s to take over in the hope of establishing sustainable operations. Its decision to remain in Hong Kong and promote waste reduction is entirely because “we’re Hong Kong people, after all”.
香港唯一紙包盒回收廠「喵坊 MilMill」，原定今日（9 日）舉行遷廠後首個開放日。迫遷搬廠重建歷時一年多，這隻「喵」為開放日籌備數月，準備向公眾介紹新家，最終活動因「無娛樂牌」而告吹。一周下來，食環署、消防處、警方接連上門，稱接獲涉及「無娛樂牌」、「火警危險」、「非法集結」等投訴。 喵坊再次走進輿論一隅，共同創辦人盧智聰笑言，事件反而「喚醒返大家仲有 MilMill 喺度」。公司遇迫遷搬廠、賺錢變負債，辦開放日為推動社區教育亦告吹，盧智聰說「19 比 0 你都要繼續踢㗎，除非你執咗嘅啫，咁我哋咪做自己嘢。」面對逆境，新廠繼續辦「不開放」的團體導賞團，以「貓巴士」接觸社區推動減廢，培育 90 後接手盼建立可持續經營，留在香港為減廢全因「香港人嚟㗎嘛」。