2020-Present 2020-Present 2020-present Change Making Environment Other Change Making Others Vulnerable Groups

From Kitchen Scraps to Community Good

A Plastic Ocean Foundation, Hong Kong

While pursuing economic development, Hong Kong, like many developed regions, faces severe environmental and social challenges. Among these, the issue of food waste is particularly prominent. All citizens and shops in Hong Kong generate up to 3,190 tons of food waste on average every day (2023 data), an amount equivalent to the weight of 246 double-decker buses. This continuously brings immense pressure to landfills and the local environment. When food waste decomposes in landfills, it releases potent greenhouse gases like methane, severely exacerbating climate change. Additionally, the collection and transportation of food waste also creates a significant carbon footprint. To address the environmental pressure and climate impact brought by this massive amount of food waste, we urgently need innovative and sustainable solutions to effectively utilize food waste and reduce waste at the source. To build Hong Kong into a sustainable and livable city, we require not only long-term and effective policies to address these pressing environmental issues, but also major value and behavioral changes in society.

In order to address these urgent challenges, the Bio-Loop Nature-based Food Waste Recycling Pilot Scheme (“this pilot project”) is set to launch in April 2025. This forward-thinking initiative, led by A Plastic Ocean Foundation with funding from ZeShan Foundation, brings together Gaw Capital People’s Place and Lingnan University’s Science Unit. Through this pilot project, pre-consumer food waste are collected from malls in North and Tuen Mun districts. Black soldier fly (BSF) technology and IoT-optimized aquaponics are used to transform food waste into edible fish and vegetables, the harvests of which will be donated to underprivileged communities through local charities. This sustainable solution reduces landfill pressure and carbon emissions while supporting a circular economy. To engage the public and promote sustainable practices, it offers free guided tours of its waste processing and aquaponics facilities for schools and the food and beverage industry stakeholders.

Bio-Loop Pilot Details

This pilot project was developed and designed by A Plastic Ocean Foundation, integrating nature-based solutions with the principles of sustainability and circular economy. By combining BSF technology and IoT-optimized aquaponics systems, this project transforms pre-consumer food waste from local restaurants into valuable products such as edible fish and vegetables.

In addition to nature-based solutions for food waste recycling, this pilot project incorporates a community-based sustainable waste management approach. Following the principle of “local production and processing,” the pre-consumer food waste from restaurants will be transported to IoT-enabled BSF facilities in each district accordingly. It reduces reliance on centralized waste facilities, thereby lowering the risks of waste leakage, minimizing carbon emissions during transportation, and easing the pressure on landfills.

The 2-year Pilot began in April 2025. During Phase One, pre-consumer food waste will be collected from restaurants located at People’s Place’s Wah Ming, Wah Sum, and Yung Shing Shopping Centres in the North District, and H.A.N.D.S Shopping Centre in Tuen Mun. We will then transport the waste to IoT-enabled BSF facilities in each district. The IoT technology boosts efficiency, monitoring and adjusting conditions like temperature to optimize larvae feeding. The black soldier fly will efficiently convert organic substances from food scraps into larval biomass rich in protein and lipids. The resulting larval biomass can be processed into a protein-rich feed ingredient suitable for aquaponic systems. In aquaponics, these nutrients are subsequently transferred through the food web: from the feed to the fish, and from the fish waste to the plants and facilitating nutrient cycling.

In Phase Two, this pilot project aims to process at least six tons of community pre-consumption food waste and produce at least one ton of aquaponics products, which will be donated to underprivileged communities through local charities. By completing this cycle, the Pilot turns waste into benefiting the community.

Community Engagement and Public Education

To raise awareness, we will hold educational booths and exhibitions at H.A.N.D.S Shopping Centre in Tuen Mun during summer 2025. Local schools, non-profit organizations and food and beverage industry stakeholders are also invited to participate in free guided tours of BSF facilities at Lingnan University and aquaponics systems to learn about sustainable waste management and circular economy practices.

We envision the Bio-Loop system being promoted in the 2 pilot districts, and to be replicated as a demonstration case in other communities and potentially setting a stage for policy discussion. We hope to collaborate with more like-minded partners to explore opportunities and possibilities for project expansion, thereby increasing the impact of Bio-Loop system. We are striving to bring about structural changes and make innovative strides in environmental sustainability and resource management.

Willy Kwong
CEO
A Plastic Ocean Foundation

Regular collection of kitchen scraps from restaurants

Kitchen scraps collected from restaurants

IoT-enabled BSF facilities in operation

A vertical aquaponics system fed with black soldier fly fish feed

An indoor multi-layer aquaponics system fed with black soldier fly fish feed

Regular collection of kitchen scraps from restaurants

Kitchen scraps collected from restaurants

IoT-enabled BSF facilities in operation

A vertical aquaponics system fed with black soldier fly fish feed

An indoor multi-layer aquaponics system fed with black soldier fly fish feed

Bio-Loop Pilot Details

Community Engagement and Public Education

Willy Kwong
CEO
A Plastic Ocean Foundation

Smart Ideas to Give Electrical Appliances a Second Life

Community Leap, Hong Kong

Waste of Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE), containing toxic and chemical components, is among the world’s fastest-growing and most complex types of solid waste. Its disposal and improper handling pose significant risks to the environment. The rapid increase of WEEE is, according to the United Nation’s The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report, fueled by high consumption rates, short product life-cycles, and inadequate repair options.

In Hong Kong, 21.6 kg of WEEE is produced per person per year on average, which is three times that of other Asian cities. Globally, Hong Kong is among the top 15 regions in WEEE generation. Although there are now regulations on recycling certain types of WEEE, many small home appliances, such as fans, hairdryers, induction cookers, and microwaves, are often discarded when old or broken. While the GREEN@COMMUNITY scheme of the Environmental Protection Department does recycle small home appliances, participation is not mandatory. Besides, this scheme only promotes recycling, but not repair.

“The Era of Repair” Seminar and WEEE Survey Results Release

The waste and handling of electrical resources is receiving increasing attention from different sectors, with Repair & Reuse playing a key role among the various waste prevention solutions adopted. In November 2024, a seminar titled “The Era of Repair” was organised by Vessel REPAIR, an initiative under the environmental charity Community Leap, with funding from ZeShan Foundation. Various repair-related stakeholders shared their thoughts on WEEE, repair, and the circular economy. The results and analysis of the “Survey on Public Practices for Buying, Using, and Disposing of Home Appliances” were also released.

The survey found that Hong Kong families threw away some 1.5 million small home appliances on average every year, 790,000 of which were directly discarded; fewer than 30% of respondents said that they would arrange recycling. It revealed that Hong Kong people, when handling small home appliances, faced many pain points and a lack of repair support. Most respondents agreed that local policies and producers did not provide adequate support for recycling small home appliances and reducing WEEE, and that setting up repair stations and organising repair training could cut down WEEE. Vessel REPAIR believes that there is a need to introduce more circular economy practices into Hong Kong, such as Repair, Reuse, and the Right to Repair. It suggests that Repair should be included in the agenda and discussion on reducing WEEE. Education and promotion are also important for raising public awareness and encouraging “Repair instead of Purchase” to cut down WEEE.

In 2018, Community Leap’s Vessel REPAIR introduced the idea of “Repair Café” from Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, into Hong Kong, setting up the city’s first Community Repair Station. With a bottom-up approach, it aims to encourage citizens to take the initiative in tackling WEEE and to promote a culture of “Repair instead of Purchase”. The Community Repair Station brings together Community Repair Volunteers who are older adults passionate about the environment. By offering repair services of small home appliances to local residents, the initiative extends the life-span of resources and alleviate the problem of WEEE. By redistributing refurbished appliances, Community Leap can match the resources to help those in need and helps build a green community of mutual aid as a long-term outcome.

The repair services have been very popular since its launch. In 2024, Vessel REPAIR received funding from ZeShan Foundation to launch the “Electrical Appliances Second Life Workshop” programme, setting up a second repair station in Kowloon. With a pay-as-you-wish model, it aims to help local residents resolve issues with appliances, reduce the waste of electrical resources, and gradually change the consumer culture of discarding the old and buying the new. Besides extending the existing repair services, the programme also includes organizing professional certificate training on repairing small home appliances in order to enable more silver-age community members becoming Community Repair Master to continue putting their talents into contributing to the community and the environment.

‘Big Fai’, who has volunteered at Vessel REPAIR for three years, said that what he enjoyed the most at the repair station was the warm sense of community. He also said that successfully fixing appliances and saving them from the landfill not only gave him enormous satisfaction, but also helped community members keep alive the associated memories and sentiments. These were the reasons that kept him going.

Seen in this light, what is being repaired is not simply resources and the environment, but also, importantly, values and beliefs.

Community Leap
Executive Director
Allen Yuen

Senior Community Repair Volunteer “Big Fai” shares repair techniques in the workshop, explaining key points for daily cleaning and maintenance.

Community Repair Masters are studying repair solutions and exchanging technical knowledge.

Senior Community Repair Master “Cho Gor” is repairing an old fan.

Bringing together environmental groups, recyclers, and business stakeholders to promote Hong Kong’s repair culture and practices.

Senior Community Repair Master “Cho Gor” is repairing an old fan.

Bringing together environmental groups, recyclers, and business stakeholders to promote Hong Kong’s repair culture and practices.

Senior Community Repair Volunteer “Big Fai” shares repair techniques in the workshop, explaining key points for daily cleaning and maintenance.

Community Repair Masters are studying repair solutions and exchanging technical knowledge.

Waste of Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE), containing toxic and chemical components, is among the world’s fastest-growing and most complex types of solid waste. Its disposal and improper handling pose significant risks to the environment. The rapid increase of WEEE is, according to the United Nation’s The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report, fueled by high consumption rates, short product life-cycles, and inadequate repair options.

“The Era of Repair” Seminar and WEEE Survey Results Release

Seen in this light, what is being repaired is not simply resources and the environment, but also, importantly, values and beliefs.

Community Leap
Executive Director
Allen Yuen

Water-Secure Future in Nepal

Hong Kong Red Cross , Hong Kong

In the remote villages of Okhaldhunga, Nepal, accessing clean water has become a daily struggle. Due to climate change and unplanned development, dwindling water sources have left many households without reliable access to safe drinking water. Women and children often have to walk every day to fetch water, placing a heavy burden on their health and livelihoods.

But the Hong Kong Red Cross, together with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Nepal Red Cross Society, is taking a community-driven and participatory approach to address this urgent crisis through the Nepal Sustainable and Inclusive Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project.

At the heart of this initiative is a deep commitment to engaging local communities as active partners in the design and implementation of sustainable water solutions. With the support of ZeShan Foundation, the project team is working closely with communities to understand their unique needs and priorities, leveraging their valuable local knowledge and perspectives.

Beyond just building new infrastructure, the 15-month disaster mitigation project will empower communities to take ownership of their water resources. This includes providing training and support for the construction and maintenance of community-managed water supply schemes, as well as promoting behavioural changes around hygiene and sanitation practices.

This project will also incorporate nature-based solutions where feasible, recognizing that restoring and protecting local ecosystems can play a crucial role in enhancing water security. However, the primary focus will be on amplifying the voices and agency of the communities themselves.

Ultimately, it aims to ensure long-term access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for more than 700 villagers in three communities when it is completed in July 2025. More importantly, it seeks to cultivate a sense of self-reliance and resilience within these communities – equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and collective power to secure their water future for generations to come.

Join us in empowering communities to build a water-secure future in Nepal.

Hong Kong Red Cross

Villagers discussing the design of their own drinking water scheme.

Villagers measuring and estimating the works for their drinking water scheme.

Villagers discussing the design of their own drinking water scheme.

Villagers measuring and estimating the works for their drinking water scheme.

Join us in empowering communities to build a water-secure future in Nepal.

Hong Kong Red Cross

Clean Air Schools

Clean Air Network, Hong Kong

Environmental protection has been higher on public agenda in Hong Kong. It is exciting to see more information exchanges and community campaigns on pressing issues like greenhouse gases, wastes and habitat degradation. But what about air pollution?

Compared to the extreme hot days, odor nuisances or loss of endangered species, smog might seem to be a less worrying phenomenon. Air pollution, however, can be harming our health at different stages slowly yet severely. Air pollution deserves our attention.

Sharing the same mission that we need more conversations and actions on air pollution, ZeShan Foundation has collaborated with Clean Air Networks (“CAN”) in 2022 to carry out a 2-year school-based project on air monitoring and education. The pilot will support 8 primary and secondary schools in Sham Shui Po and Tuen Mun to gather real-time data on air quality via monitor installation. This is one of our first attempts to develop more community-led initiatives to address our environmental issues. With the available data and technical support from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the participating school management, teaching staff and students will be guided by CAN to develop and test out their adaptation measures to address air pollution in schools.

Sowing the seeds of raising awareness and knowledge, ZeShan hopes to see more behavioral changes around air pollution on a school level, and ultimately a cleaner and healthier learning environment for nurturing young minds.

Alexa Li
Assistant Program Manager
ZeShan Foundation

Chinese medicine practitioner checking on villager

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Green Collar Incubation Hub

A Plastic Ocean Foundation, Hong Kong

In recent years, a growing number of recycling stations has been noticed in many urban communities, housing unwanted household items. Recyclables in the rural side, however, do not share the same story – valuable recyclables are often turned into mismanaged waste or even pollution menace, where recycling facilities or services are lacked or limited.

Hoping to change the narrative in the rural setting, ZeShan Foundation has partnered with A Plastic Ocean Foundation (“APO”) to develop a community-led waste management model in rural villages. In this one-year pilot project, two cohorts of passionate young adults will be equipped with professional training on recycling operation. Guided by APO’s recycling partners, the trained green collars will then take the lead on running a series of community recycling drives for people residing in villages located in the New Territories West. These range from collecting household plastic waste to processing them into quality recycling materials that can be repurposed for a second life.

Through mainstreaming the green practices in rural neighbourhood and cultivating a pool of green talents, ZeShan hopes to test and demonstrate this alternative model in strategically addressing the growing waste problem and rivitalising the recycling industry in Hong Kong.

Alexa Li
Assistant Program Manager
ZeShan Foundation

A Plastic Ocean Foundation's Education Team is introducing rural green facility and the natural habitats of Ha Tsuen to university students

APO’s Education Team is introducing rural green facility and the natural habitats of Ha Tsuen to university students

A Plastic Ocean Foundation's Education Team has been invited to offer a career talk on Green Opportunity and Employment for IVE (Shatin)

APO’s Education Team has been invited to offer a career talk on Green Opportunity and Employment for IVE (Shatin)

APO’s Education Team’s mobile clean recycling station where our officer is introducing the concept of clean recycling to rural residents

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Blue Sky is the Limit

Blue Sky Energy Technologies Limited, Hong Kong

The Blue Sky Project aims to reduce energy usage and enhance indoor air quality (IAQ) in the NGO sector, as well as facilitate behavioural change among this target population through the transparent availability of energy data and user-centric engagement. The project partners with 4 non-governmental organizations, including Hong Kong Christian Service, Hong Kong Playground Association, Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council. ZeShan Foundation and Lee Hysan Foundation are the strategic partners and sponsors of the project, which has the full support of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

Service Scope

51 service locations with different facilities such as offices, campsites, and stadiums, which collectively provide diverse services ranging from youth service, education, social service, elderly care, rehabilitation, etc.
1,500+ staff engagement
290+ smart energy meters and 100+ IAQ sensors installation
Secure log-in account for web dashboard and mobile app
Data granularity of each centre, separated into air conditioning, light, and socket load
Notification and alerts which prompt energy and IAQ abnormality investigation
Weekly consumption report for energy and IAQ review
Energy usage comparison against other locations and benchmarks

Blue Sky SAVE Model

In order to make energy saving and IAQ enhancement transparent and actionable, the Blue Sky SAVE Model is applied:

Signal – Smart sensors collects data and processes in server

Action – Experimental energy saving actions are encouraged by centre managers and Blue Sky engagement programs

Verification & Reward – Weekly summaries are analysed by Blue Sky AI and emailed to centres

Evaluation – Quarterly evaluation on engagement level

Digital Engagement

Users receive weekly summary emails of their energy and IAQ performance, accompanied by notifications and recommended actions to enhance their performance. The Blue Sky AI model determines a daily energy budget, which is informed by past energy usage patterns and real-time environmental factors. Paired with real-time analytics, the AI model triggers a notification to users when their actual energy usage is higher than that which was budgeted. In another element of performance feedback, users are also provided with visualizations of their energy usage and IAQ compared to external benchmarks, along with targeted areas of improvement and action tips to reach these goals.

Offline Engagement

Staff members at each service location can volunteer to be Blue Sky Ambassadors, and would receive in-depth training and attend workshops to establish a deep understanding of the energy usage and IAQ patterns of their premises. With this foundation of knowledge, Ambassadors are encouraged to derive action plans to facilitate behavioural change around energy usage. To aid this effort, collateral materials such as reusable cutlery, posters, and upcycled gadget stands are made available at all service locations to nudge users towards sustainable choices and energy conservation in their daily operations.

Energy visits are regularly carried out by Blue Sky energy experts at every service location to investigate the sites’ energy usage and IAQ patterns. In collaboration with Blue Sky Ambassadors, this initiative can facilitate the discussion and discovery of creative and user-centric ways to reduce energy usage and improve indoor air quality across the NGO sector.

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Blue Sky staff and NGO partners

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Monitoring devices installed at NGO premises

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Visit Electrical and Mechanical Services Department

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Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit…Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.