On 3^rd June, we are planning on organising two half-day field trips for our delegates visiting from various countries. Interested participants please register for the field trip via https://icswhk.hkbu.edu.hk/registration. Each field trip will involve visits to two of the state-of-the-art treatment facilities in Hong Kong as follows:

1. Y-PARK (Promotes recycling of yard waste into useful materials) and T-PARK (Transformation Park-Converting waste to energy)

Time: 8:30 am to 1:00 pm

Y-PARK aims to promote the recycling of yard waste into useful materials, reducing disposal at landfills and relevant carbon emissions, realising “zero landfill” and facilitating carbon neutrality in the long run. Y·PARK is equipped with various installations, including wood shredders, wood cutting machine, drying and sterilisation unit etc., which can transform suitable yard waste into various useful materials such as wood boards, wood beams, wood chips and sawdust etc.

T-PARK signifies the continuous drive to shape Hong Kong’s “waste-to-energy” ambitions for the good of the community. In this plant, sewage sludge is used as fuel and the heat energy produced from the sludge incineration process is recovered and converted into electricity. It also reflects a vision to encourage positive change in people’s attitudes and behaviours towards waste management and resource recovery and recycling. T · PARK is more than just a plant, but a place to learn and engage in Hong Kong’s green force through its recreational and educational facilities. 

2. Eco-PARK (Hong Kong's first recycling Business Park) and O-PARK (Organic Resources Centre-renewable energy generation plant) 

Time: 8:30 am to 1:00 pm

Eco-PARK, Hong Kong's first recycling-business park, is a facility of the Environmental Protection Department specially constructed for recycling industry. In operation since 2007, EcoPark provides long-term land at affordable costs and a whole package of amenities for use by the recycling and environmental industry with a view to alleviating the expenditure of recyclers on infrastructure, thereby encouraging their investment in advanced technologies and recycling processes. EcoPark endeavors to promote the turning of waste into resources by returning recyclable materials to the production line and the consumption loop, promoting the development of the local environmental and recycling industry. Currently, EcoPark has 10 tenants, engaging in recycling business of waste cooking oil, waste metals, waste wood, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), waste plastics, waste batteries, construction and demolition waste, waste glass, waste rubber tyres and waste paper.

O-PARK, the first organic resources recovery centre, adopts anaerobic digestion technology to convert food waste into biogas (a source of renewable energy similar to natural gas) for electricity generation whilst the residues from the process is produced as compost for landscaping and agriculture use. O · PARK1 is capable of handling 200 tonnes of food waste per day. The biogas generated from the anaerobic digestion process is turned into heat and electricity that can support the needs of the facility. When running in full capacity, about 14 million kWh of electricity can be exported to the grid per year, which is equivalent to the power consumption by some 3,000 households. After the anaerobic digestion process, digestate will be converted into compost. The facility can generate about 20 tonnes of compost per day as a by-product, where it can be used for landscaping and agriculture applications. This dramatically cuts down the quantity of food waste to be disposed of at the landfills.