Service Learning for Sustainability

By members of the APSS service learning team: Dr. Amy Ho, Ms. Amoy Ong, and Dr. Dennis Cheung

Extending Campus Sustainability Effort to the Community through Service Learning

Hong Kong is facing environmental challenges which post threats to the sustainability of our environment. The municipal solid wastes (MSW) issue, in particular, warrants our special attention. We are now sending more than 9,000 tons of solid wastes to the landfill and one-third of them are consumable food (Environmental Bureau, 2012). The three landfills in Hong Kong will be saturated by 2014, 2016 and 2018 respectively. Paradoxically, one in five Hong Kong citizens lives on income below the poverty line, one in four children does not get three meals a day and one in three elderly struggles to meet their basic nutritional needs.

Around the world, service learning has flourished in higher education against a backdrop of the call for civic engagement and inter-disciplinary response to community needs. In addressing the food waste problem, a service learning subject APSS2S07 “You can make a difference to our planet” was launched by the Department of Applied Social Science (APSS) to cultivate civic responsibility, social awareness and empathy among undergraduate students through inspiration, reflection and civic engagements.

Campus-community Partnership

In this service learning subject, students were able to work closely with Ever Green Association, a locality-based civic organization which aims at creating a sustainable community through networking and community capacity building.

What Have the Students Accomplished?

"Food Share, We Care" Project

This food recycling project focused on sharing consumable food items within the community, food that would otherwise had ended up in the dumpsters. Together with volunteers from the local community, students collected donated consumable food items from the Hung Hom Wet Market, nearby hawker stores and bakeries (e.g. vegetables, seafood and baked goods) in small groups.

These food items would then be distributed to the elderly and low-income families in the nearby Hung Hom public housing estates, nursing home as well as the Holy Carpenter Church and Community Center. On average, about 150 kg of food was collected every evening and benefitted more than 50 individuals and families. An estimation of about 40,000 kg of consumable food was saved every year through this “Food Share, We Care” project.

"Open the Cupboard" Project

This was a community education program on environmental sustainability which was held at two public housing estates (Sau Mau Ping and Hung Hom Estates). The management offices of these housing estates were enlisted as co-organizers who helped publicize the events to thousands of residents. Educational display boards were prepared to educate the public on the extend of food waste challenge in Hong Kong, as well as practical tips on how food can be reused and recycled. The students involved residents in identifying the expiry dates of food items through games. Consumable goods brought forward by the residents were recorded and categorized for later distribution to the community. The program attracted an average attendance of 200 residents in both communities.

Community Capacity Building Projects

Based on the service learning experience above, students formed themselves into small teams and worked closely with the partner organization to strengthen the capacity of community. Students were encouraged to make good use of their knowledge and skills and proposed workable strategies on raising community awareness on the food waste problem, improving the logistics of food collection and distribution, as well as better design and publicity of the “Food Share, We Care” project.

Impact on Students

The service learning experience did have an impact on students’ learning outcomes. Through the actual experience of collecting consumable food from the community, students recognized the magnitude of the food waste problem and how low-income individuals and families were able to benefit from the food recycling services. They developed a great sense of civic responsibility and realized the power of concerted effort by different stakeholders in the society to work towards environmental sustainability.

Students’ Feedback

• “Before I attended this course, I never realized food waste is a problem. From now on, I will try my best to reduce food waste in my daily life and also urge my family and friends to care about this problem. It is our responsibility to reduce food waste and to share food with those in need.” (V Li, Marketing Student)
• “The community service we participated really helps a lot in reducing food waste and benefits the needy families. At the same time, the project can also change the attitude of stakeholders in the community towards food wastes, including volunteers, donors and the food recipients.” (H Ho, Radiography Student)
• “I realized that collective effort by the citizens can be very powerful in addressing the food waste problem. We acknowledge the problem, we discuss, and we act! ” (S Wu, Scheme of Design Student)
• “I put theory into practice through the learning and services. Everybody can make a difference to our planet and we are responsible to make our world a better place” (G Chen, Electronic Engineering Student)

Impact on the Community

This campus-community partnership provided students with a chance to demonstrate the relevance of what they had learnt in the university and allowed them to make real contribution to people’s lives in their own community. A fair amount of consumable food was collected and shared with needy families in the community, and hence reduced their economic burden on food. The project has not only reduced the amount of food waste to be sent to the landfills, but also enhanced public awareness of the food waste problem, as well as strengthening the capacity of the community to work towards long-term environmental sustainability.

New Campus Sustainability Policies Released

In demonstrating PolyU’s commitment in fostering campus sustainability, the Campus Sustainability Committee (CSC) started to formulate new campus sustainability related policies in 2013. Through campus-wide consultation, open forum and other engagements, CSC has collected valuable views and comments from PolyU stakeholders. Recently, the Policies have been officially released which include:

• Sustainability Policy
• Energy and Greenhouse Gas Policy
• Green Procurement Policy
• Sustainable Infrastructure Policy
• Waste Management Policy
• Water Conservation Policy

With the new Policies in place, PolyU demonstrates the commitment and determination to integrate sustainability principles into campus developments and foster sustainable excellence. You are most welcome to find all of the Policies at PolyU Green Concepts Website.

Photo source: PolyU Website

Collection of Unwanted Banners at PolyU Main Campus

PolyU supports the reuse of banners and promotional materials to reduce disposal to landfills. Since 2 July 2014, three collection bins have been set up at podium level of (i) Core F, (ii) Core P and (iii) Communal Building to collect (i) banner, (ii) core picture, and (iii) pillar banner. Colleagues and students are advised to dispose the aforementioned materials into these collection bins and ask their contractors to follow this practice. Unwanted Banners will be collected and reused by Yan Oi Tong EcoPark Plastic Resources Recycling Centre.

You are most welcome to find out the Unwanted Banners collection points at PolyU Green Map Website.

Recycling Your Confidential Documents and Computer Hard-Disks

PolyU has commissioned a company for providing a comprehensive collection and destruction service for all types of confidential documents including computer hard-disks from 1 January 2014 onwards. The service provider will collect the confidential documents with “confidential waste bags” and shred the documents under close supervision at its shredding centre. The shredded papers will then be baled and exported to the recycled paper mills in Mainland China and various countries in South East Asia for recycled tissues manufacturing. You are most welcome to enquire about this service by contacting Facilities Management Office at 2766 7777.

Food Waste Reduction and Bring Your Own Campaign

As one of the signees of the Food Wise Charter in the Food Wise Hong Kong Campaign, PolyU is committed to put into practice food waste reduction and disposal in our daily operation. Since late 2013, PolyU has commissioned a food waste collection and recycling contractor to collect food waste at our catering outlets. To recognize caterers’ support, the Catering Committee and Campus Sustainability Committee have issued recognition certificates to all participating caterers. Moreover, a series of promotional materials have rolled out at our catering outlets at the beginning of this academic year to encourage staff and students to cherish food and nurture the Bring Your Own (e.g. your own lunch box/mug) culture.

You are most welcome to learn more about this campaign from the following videos:

• Food waste reduction
• Bring Your Own culture

New Green Landmark on Campus - Green Column

You may be aware that PolyU has new green feature – Green Columns at the podium of Core P. Two concrete pillars were dressed in green plants. PolyU has been adopting vertical greening technologies to provide more greenery in recent years and this new feature will help to add more green color on campus.

Symposium on City Mining

The “Symposium on City Mining” jointly organized by the Campus Sustainability Committee and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology was officiated by Ir. Professor Alexander Wai, Vice President (Research Development) on 26 July 2014. City mining is the process of extracting resources such as plastics, metals, end-of-life vehicles, lumber organic and electronic wastes from inside the city and recycling them as new resources to improve our city living standard. The objective of this event was to provide a platform for government officials, university academics, recycling operators, environmental organizations, and environmental experts to share their experiences and foster collaborations on city mining with the aim of facilitating city resources and waste recycling in accordance with the policies in Guangdong and Hong Kong.

More information about the Symposium can be found at here.

A Sustainability-related Project led by PolyU Scholar Won Award from Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund

Professor Michael Siu, School of Design of PolyU

Led by Professor Michael Siu, School of Design of PolyU, a project named “Sustainability Ambassadors” has been recently selected as one of the 60 proposals from more than 1,000 for the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF), which is hosted annually by the U.S. State Department’s International Exchange Alumni. The winning project was the only winning proposal from Hong Kong and encouraged young people to participate in sustainable design, especially for densely populated cities such as Hong Kong. To promote household waste-recycling, the project commenced in the new semester intended to invite young people to participate in designing recycling facilities for their home and act as Sustainability Ambassadors to promote recycling among their family members. The project will be lasted for about one year with feature seminars, design workshops, exhibitions and a website advocating sustainability. The project also aimed to collect useful information for the purpose of academic research. More details can be found at AEIF's website.

“Enlighten” – Breaking Guinness World Record

“Enlighten”, a UGC funded project initiated and organized by a group of dedicated PolyU students, aimed at breaking Guinness World Record “most power produced by pedaling on static bicycles for 24 hours” and promoting sustainability in PolyU. On 11 to 12 September 2014, over 1,000 PolyU members and friends joined forces to pedal on static bikes to generate power round the clock at Chan Sui Kau and Chan Lam Moon Chun Square. The event generated a total of 31,399.31 Wh of clean energy. More information about the event can be found from Enlighten's Facebook page.

Hydroponic Salad Vegetable Planting Scheme on PolyU Campus

With an aim to promote sustainability and low carbon lifestyle, a group of dedicated PolyU students has established a non-governmental organization named “The Era” and initiated the Hydroponic Salad Vegetable Planting Scheme to invite PolyU staff and students to build a new green landmark together on campus. This programme has won the "Innovation Stream Grand Award" of PolyU Micro Fund 2014 and was also one of the winning projects for UGC Funding for Student-Initiated Projects.

Participants will be allocated a plant plot near Shaw Sports Complex to plant their own salad vegetable once they joined the program. A 45 min hydroponic introductory training course will also be provided to participants. More details about the scheme can be found at The Era's Facebook page.

Green Hall, PolyU Student Halls of Residence (Homantin) – Reusable Item Distribution Exercise

A reusable items distribution exercise was held at the Green Hall of the PolyU Student Halls of Residence (Homantin) from 1 to 3 September 2014 after the summer holiday. In this exercise, reusable items have been collected during the mass check-out period at the end of last academic year. About 60 residents of the PolyU Student Halls of Residence (Homantin) have contributed with over 100 items being distributed for reuse by students.

Hong Kong No Air Con Night 2014

“Hong Kong No Air Con Night” is a territory-wide energy saving campaign to promote the wise use of air-conditioning in order to lower the emission of greenhouse gases. The campaign has been launched for 5 consecutive years since 2010. PolyU had once again pledged to support the “Hong Kong No Air Con Night 2014” Campaign.

Our President, Professor Timothy W. Tong has shown his support to Hong Kong No Air Con Night 2014 in which he has pointed out in the promotional clip that energy is very precious. We must treasure and use the resources on Earth wisely.

The Kick-off Ceremony of the Campaign was held on 25 September 2014 at Chan Sui Kau and Chan Lam Moon Chun Square. The Opening Speech was given by Ir. Professor Alexander Wai, Vice President (Research Development) who emphasized PolyU’s continuous effort in promoting environmental protection and determination on campus sustainability. More information can be found at campaign website.

PolyU Micro Fund Awards Presentation Ceremony 2014

Launched in 2011, PolyU Micro Fund Scheme is a knowledge transfer initiative aiming to cultivate innovative and entrepreneurial ambiance within the PolyU community; nurture socially responsible youngsters with “Do Well Do Good” entrepreneurial spirit through hands-on business endeavors and; facilitate knowledge transfer and commercialization of PolyU’s innovations and technologies.

The 2014 PolyU Micro Fund Awards Presentation Ceremony was held on 29 September 2014 at Hotel ICON. The theme for this year was "Innovate for a Sustainable Campus" and over 180 applications were attracted, with over 1,600 participants involved. Following a rigorous assessment process, 20 entrepreneurial propositions were granted and 9 students’ innovative proposals received an award for their creative proposals on building a sustainable campus. More details about the ceremony can be found at Micro Fund's website.

PolyU “Recycle More Waste Less” Marketing Campaign Competition 2014

(Application Deadline: 31 October 2014)

(Click on image for larger poster)

The Campus Sustainability Committee, Faculty of Business and Health, Safety and Environment Office of PolyU have collaborated with Yan Oi Tong EcoPark Plastic Resources Recycling Centre to organize the PolyU “Recycle More Waste Less” Marketing Campaign Competition 2014 for all non-final year Bachelor of Business Administration students, excluding exchange-in students. The Competition aims to raise the concern of university students on waste plastic recycling and resource conservation. Students are required to form a team of four to compete for internship opportunities at Coca-Cola and other awards. The application deadline will be on 31 October 2014.

For details about the competition, please visit Faculty of Business’s website.

Jockey Club Innovation Tower Won Award in Structural Excellence Award 2014

Jockey Club Innovation Tower (JCIT), designed by the world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid, won the "Commendation Merit" in Hong Kong Projects Category of the Structural Excellence Award 2014, organized by the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers/The Institution of Structural Engineers Joint Structural Division (HKIE/IStructE JSD), with the aim of recognizing the excellence in structural design in Hong Kong based on the performance in engineering approach, integration, innovation, build-ability, sustainability and unique features.

More details about the award and PolyU’s achievement on sustainability can be found at HKIE's website and PolyU Green Concepts Website respectively.

PolyU Received Gold Award under Yan Oi Tong Plastic Recycling Partnership Scheme 2013-14

On 18 July 2014, PolyU received the Certificate of Gold Award for the School Sector of Yan Oi Tong Plastic Recycling Partnership Scheme 2013-14 to recognize our effort on promoting plastic recycling. To win Gold Award under the School Sector, at least 1,200 kg of plastics have to be collected annually. The Presentation Ceremony was officiated by Ms. Christine Loh, Under Secretary for the Environment; Ms. Ng Ming Chun, Chairperson of Board of Directors of Yan Oi Tong; and Dr. Lo Tai Chin, Vice Chairman of Board of Directors of Yan Oi Tong.

You can find more information about the scheme at Yan Oi Tong EcoPark Plastic Resources Recycling Centre's website (Chinese version only) and the locations of plastics collection bins in PolyU Main Campus at PolyU Green Map Website.

World-Wide Sustainability-Related Dates

Over the years, various world-wide environmental and sustainability-related days have been established to raise public awareness on different environmental, social and ecological issues. Below are some examples:

1 October – World Vegetarian Day

World Vegetarian Day was established as an annual celebration to promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism. The day was originated by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977 and endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978. October 1st is the official date, however if necessary, individuals may schedule their event on a nearby date instead. You can find more information from World Vegetarian Day's website.

4 October – World Animal Day

World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence, Italy as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. October 4 was chosen as it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. It is a day for remembering and paying tribute to all animals and the people who love and respect them. You can find more information from World Animal Day's website.

13 October – International Day for Disaster Reduction

The International Day for Disaster Reduction was started in 1989 with the approval by the United Nations General Assembly. The objective of the observance is to raise awareness of how people are taking action to reduce their risk to disasters. You can find more information from International Day for Disaster Reduction's website.

16 October – World Food Day

World Food Day was first established in 1979. 16 October was chosen as it is the establishment of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Quebec, Canada. It is a day of action against hunger. You can find more information from World Food Day's website.

For more information about sustainability related dates, please refer to PolyU Green Concepts Website.

Environmental Protection Department – Exemption for use of Euro V LPG-cum-petrol taxis under Air Pollution Control (Vehicle Design Standards) (Emission) Regulations

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) announced on 17 July 2014 that exemptions were granted to liquefied petroleum gas-cum-petrol (LPG-cum-petrol) taxis seeking first registration in Hong Kong from the requirements of being fuelled by either petrol or LPG.

An LPG-cum-petrol taxi had to comply with the prevailing statutory emission standards for LPG taxis and petrol taxis as set out in the Air Pollution Control (Vehicle Design Standards) (Emission) Regulations (Cap. 311J) (the Regulation) to qualify for the exemption, which was at the Euro V level or equivalent.

For more information about the Air Pollution Control (Vehicle Design Standards) (Emission) Regulations, please refer to EPD’s website.

Environmental Protection Department – 100 public EV Medium Chargers Available for Public Use in August

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) indicated a total of 100 new medium chargers for electric vehicles (EVs) had been placed for public use starting from 1 August 2014 to encourage the wider use of EVs which created no tailpipe emission and thus helped improve roadside air quality. They were located at 16 government car parks currently equipped with standard chargers. These medium chargers could reduce the charging time by as much as about 60 per cent compared with standard chargers.

For more information about EV charging facilities, please refer to EPD’s website.

Sustainable Seafood Week 2015 and Sustainable Seafood Guide

Sustainable seafood refers to the seafood that is either wild caught or farmed in a manner that meets the demands of today while not damaging a fishery’s ability to provide the same function to future generations Note. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)’s consumer survey revealed in late 2014, a primary challenge for consumers is to locate and purchase sustainable seafood.

To encourage the public to adopt sustainable seafood in their meals, WWF-Hong Kong has launched the “Sustainable Seafood Week” during the period from 27 June to 5 July 2015. Over 100 restaurants used sustainable seafood to prepare Ocean Friendly Menus. In addition, a series of activities were organized, such as Sustainable Seafood Photo Competition and Panda Flash Mob. You can find more about the “Sustainable Seafood Week” from WWF’s website at http://goo.gl/Rp3x3R.

Also, WWF-Hong Kong published Sustainable Seafood Guide with the aim of helping individuals and businesses choose sustainable seafood and avoid unsustainable seafood products. The Guide covers seafood species that can easily be found in local wet markets, supermarkets and frozen food shops. You can find the full guideline from WWF’s website at http://goo.gl/0lhNS0.

Note: The definition of sustainable seafood was provided by WWF-Hong Kong at http://goo.gl/Rp3x3R.