【会议】Building and Sustaining Integrated Waste Management in Hong Kong

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About the Conference

This 2-day conference is approved and funded by the Inter-Institutional Development Scheme (IIDS) project. The IIDS project reference number is UGC/IIDS24/B01/23. The principal investigator of the IIDS project is Dr. Joseph LAU. The IIDS project title is “Building and Sustaining Integrated Waste Management in Hong Kong”.

Waste is a common problem in developed and developing countries, especially in Hong Kong, the ‘fast-paced lifestyle’ caused fast and convenience to be the major priorities for everything. People are more likely to make consumption to fulfill their desire immediately, and just throw it away when they think it is no longer necessary. Although the HKSAR government has taken action in promoting the ‘Using less, Wasting less’ concept and so to reduce and recycle waste in Hong Kong, the waste challenge is still very acute. According to the HKSAR Environmental Protection Department in 2022, waste is the third major source of carbon emissions and a major issue of limited landfill capacity and environmental impacts in Hong Kong. Among that, ‘Food waste’ is the major constituent that contributed to 30% of the municipal solid waste (MSW) disposed of in landfills in Hong Kong. The evolution of fast fashion in Hong Kong also resulted in 343 tonnes of the city’s textile waste going to landfills every day. These wastes are more likely created by industrial, commercial, and household activities. In addition, the volume of construction waste disposed of at landfills has risen by around 7%, which is perhaps because of relatively more demolition after the shutdown of shops and firms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is essential for the whole community to build and sustain proper waste management in order to maintain a sustainable and livable environment.

We host a 2-day conference titled “Building and Sustaining Integrated Waste Management in Hong Kong”. Different industries are covered each day, and the focus is on the issues of waste generation, reduction, and management in Hong Kong 1) the food industry, plastic, and packaging industry, 2) the fast fashion industry, 3) the electric vehicle industry, and 4) the construction industry. And taking United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the entry points, deconstructing how waste management could effectively improve the waste problem and bring benefits in economic, social, and environmental aspects by achieving the SDG goals (e.g.: SDG 2, 6, 9, 11, 12 and 13). In total, 20 topics will be covered, and five speakers will be invited to speak for each day. Renowned overseas and local scholars, policymakers, industrial practitioners, associations, and experts in waste management will be invited to speak and present their current research, elaborate their point of view on Hong Kong waste management and produce innovative outputs.

The project is supported by School of Professional Education and Executive Development of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU SPEED), University of Hong Kong, Beijing Normal University - Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Climate Change Adaptation Planning for Port, Transportation Infrastructure, and the Arctic, Hong Kong Sea Transport and Logistics Association, Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Policy Research Institute of Global Supply Chain, Hong Kong Institute of Engineers - Logistics and Transportation Division, Research Center for Green Business, Hong Kong Association of Energy Service Companies Ltd, The Association of Hong Kong Gloves Traders Limited, Greater Bay Area Hong Kong & Macau Talents Association, Sustainable Lab HK, A Plastic Ocean Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and Hong Kong Association for VR AR.

The conference, workshops, and tours are committed to promoting the application of waste management in various industries with academic theories and industrial practices and exploring excellence and vocational skills in reducing and handling waste that supports the achievement of SDG goals and brings good impact on the economic, social, and environmental. Targeted audiences include university students, academics, environmentalists, associations, and industry practitioners. The general public is also welcome. Depending on the potential for global travel restrictions, the conference and workshops will be offered in-person and virtually. A guidebook and a website will be constructed, and all the conference presentation sessions and workshops will be recorded and uploaded online. The website serves as an archive to keep a record of the entire event and provide information for anyone interested in the mentioned topics. The key aim is to increase the awareness and support from the industries to discuss and share ways in facilitating integrated waste management development and encouraging clean recycling so as to achieve the SDG goals with the aim of nurturing a green lifestyle in the community.

Co-Organisers (in Alphabetical Order)

• Beijing Normal University - Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, China

• Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

• The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

• University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Please click here for more details. 

For enquiries, please contact the following channels:

Contact the Conference Chairman

Dr Jospeh Lau
Tel: +852 3746 0648
Email: yuiyip.lau@cpce-polyu.edu.hk

Acknowledgement: This conference is fully supported by the Research Grants Council (RGC) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Inter-institutional Development Scheme (UGC/IIDS24/B01/23).