Sustainable Product Design Competition

Organisers:

• Industrial Centre (IC)
• Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood)

Supporting Units:

• University Research Facility in 3D Printing (U3DP)
• Material Resource Centre, School of Design (MRC)
• Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office (CFSO)

 

2.1 The Competition is open to all full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (“PolyU”).
2.2 Participants may enter individually or as a team of no more than three members.
2.3 All participants must hold valid PolyU student status throughout the Competition period.
2.4 Each student may participate in one entry only, either individually or as a member of a team. A student may not participate in more than one team or submit a separate individual entry.
2.5 Members of the judging panel and student assistants directly involved in organising the Competition or its hands-on workshops are not eligible to participate.
2.6 The Organisers reserve the right to verify the eligibility of participants and make the final decision on any eligibility matter.

• Registration opens: Monday, 12 October 2026
• Competition briefing: Friday, 13 November 2026
• Registration deadline: Thursday, 31 December 2026
• Submission deadline: Friday, 2 April 2027
• Exhibition and public voting: April - May 2027
• Judging: April - May 2027
• Announcement of results: May - June 2027
• Award presentation: June 2027; exact date to be confirmed

*All dates and arrangements are subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to registered participants through email and the Competition website.

4.1 Participants must complete and submit the online registration form between 12 October and 31 December 2026.
4.2 Registration is automatic, and there is no limit on the number of participants or teams that may register, provided that all eligibility and registration requirements are met.
4.3 For a team entry, one member must be designated as the team leader and submit the registration form on behalf of the team.
4.4 A registration confirmation email will be sent within five working days after receipt of the registration form.
4.5 Participants wishing to amend their registration information should contact the Organisers. Approved amendments will not be treated as a new or additional entry.
4.6 The Organisers reserve the right to reject or cancel a registration if the eligibility requirements are not met or if the information provided is incomplete, false, or misleading.

Participants are invited to design an original and meaningful souvenir representing PolyU. The design should reflect PolyU’s identity, values, achievements, campus life, community, or connection with Hong Kong while making creative use of recycled materials, biocomposites, or a combination of both.
The souvenir may be a decorative object, lifestyle product, stationery item, wearable accessory, or another creative product suitable for PolyU students, staff, alumni, visitors, or guests.

Each entry must:

• Represent PolyU: Draw inspiration from PolyU’s culture, history, architecture, education, research, innovation, achievements, values, or community.
• Use sustainable materials: At least 50% of the total weight of the physical prototype must consist of recycled materials and/or biocomposites.
• Comply with the size limit: The finished souvenir and its physical prototype must not exceed 150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm in overall dimensions. Scaled-down models of products exceeding this size are not accepted.
• Be original and appealing: Present a fresh, creative, and memorable interpretation of PolyU.
• Be practical: Consider usefulness, durability, safety, portability, and ease of handling.
• Be suitable for production: Consider manufacturing feasibility, material availability, production costs, scalability, and quality consistency.
• Reduce environmental impact: Minimise material waste, unnecessary packaging, and the use of non-recyclable components.
• Tell a meaningful story: Explain how the concept, materials, and intended use represent PolyU and promote sustainability.

Any use of PolyU’s name, logo, visual identity, or other protected marks must comply with the University’s applicable brand and identity guidelines.

Each entry must include the following:

6.1 Design Poster

Participants must submit a digital file for one A1-size poster presenting:

• the design concept and inspiration;
• how the design represents PolyU;
• product drawings, illustrations, or renderings;
• the materials and manufacturing processes used or proposed;
• the product’s dimensions, functions, and intended users; and
• an explanation of the design’s environmental benefits.

The poster must be submitted in JPEG format at 300 dpi. Participants are not required to submit a printed poster. IC will arrange and bear the cost of printing the posters for shortlisted entries.

6.2 Use of AI-generated Content
AI-generated or AI-assisted images and content may be used, provided that:

• their use is clearly declared in the submission;
• the AI tools used and the parts of the submission created or assisted by AI are identified;
• the use of AI does not replace the participants’ own substantial and original design contribution; and
• the generated content does not infringe any third-party rights.

Participants remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, and legality of all submitted content.

6.3 Physical Prototype

Participants must submit one physical prototype that:

• does not exceed 150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm in overall dimensions;
• is safe to handle, transport, store, and display; and
• consists of at least 50% recycled materials and/or biocomposites, measured by the total weight of the prototype.

Scaled-down models of products exceeding the stated size limit will not be accepted.

Participants must submit a material breakdown indicating:

• the materials used;
• the approximate weight of each material;
• the percentage of recycled materials and/or biocomposites by weight; and
• the source or nature of the recycled or bio-based materials.

The Organisers may request supporting information or evidence relating to the materials used.

6.4 Video

Participants must submit a video of no more than one minute introducing:

• the design concept;
• how the product represents PolyU;
• the materials used;
• the intended users; and
• the product’s functions and environmental benefits.

MP4 format is recommended.

6.5 Submission Arrangements
The submission platform, deadline time, file-size limits, file-naming requirements, physical prototype delivery location, and contact person will be specified in the registration form and/or subsequent submission instructions issued by the Organisers.
Participants are responsible for delivering their physical prototypes to IC and for all associated transportation and delivery costs.
Incomplete or late submissions will not be accepted. Participants are responsible for ensuring that all digital files are complete, readable, and submitted successfully before the deadline.
The Organisers will not be responsible for failed, delayed, corrupted, or incomplete submissions caused by technical, network, delivery, or other problems beyond their reasonable control.
Unless otherwise stated, participants are responsible for all costs associated with preparing and submitting their posters, prototypes, and videos.

7.1 Each registered individual participant or team will be assigned a mentor from IC to provide general technical guidance and product design advice.
7.2 Mentors will provide guidance only. Participants remain responsible for their design decisions, fabrication work, submitted content, and compliance with these Terms and Conditions.
7.3 Hands-on workshops, sharing sessions, and visits related to the Competition theme may be offered during the Competition period. Priority may be given to registered participants, subject to availability.
7.4 Selected recycled materials and biocomposites will be provided by IC free of charge, subject to availability.
7.5 Participants may collect available materials from W401, Plastics & Food Waste Innovation MakerLab. Prior booking is not normally required. However, participants who require a large quantity of materials should contact IC in advance so that availability and collection arrangements can be confirmed.
7.6 Participants may use designated IC facilities to produce their prototypes, subject to facility availability, applicable safety requirements, staff approval, and the operating rules of the relevant facilities.
7.7 Participants wishing to use their own materials must obtain approval from their mentor. All materials must be clean, safe, non-hazardous, and suitable for the intended manufacturing process.

8.1 Judging Criteria

Criterion	Weight	Assessment Considerations
Sustainability	25%	Use and proportion of recycled materials and/or biocomposites; waste reduction; environmental impact; durability; and end-of-life considerations
Innovativeness	20%	Originality, creative design approach, functionality, and problem-solving
Representation of PolyU Identity	20%	Relevance to PolyU’s identity, values, culture, history, architecture, achievements, community, or connection with Hong Kong
Market Potential	20%	User appeal, practicality, manufacturing feasibility, scalability, material availability, and cost-effectiveness
Aesthetics and Craftsmanship	15%	Visual and sensory appeal, material harmony, quality of execution, and emotional connection

8.2 Eligible entries will be assessed by a judging panel appointed by the Organisers.
8.3 The judging panel may decide not to grant an award if no entry meets the required standard.
8.4 The judging panel’s decisions are final. Individual scores, comments, and deliberations will not normally be disclosed.
8.2 Most Popular Design Award
8.5 The Most Popular Design Award will be determined by votes cast by eligible members of the PolyU community through an authenticated PolyU platform.
8.6 The voting period, voter eligibility, and voting procedures will be announced before voting begins.
8.7 Each eligible voter may cast one vote.
8.8 The Organisers reserve the right to reject fraudulent, automated, duplicate, manipulated, or otherwise invalid votes.
8.9 The Most Popular Design Award is separate from the awards determined by the judging panel. An entry may receive both the Most Popular Design Award and another Competition award.

Champion: Certificate and HK$8,000 cash voucher
First Runner-up: Certificate and HK$5,000 cash voucher
Second Runner-up: Certificate and HK$3,000 cash voucher
Four Merit Awards: Certificate and HK$1,000 cash voucher for each winning entry
Most Popular Design Award: Certificate and cash voucher valued at HK$500
Voter Lucky Draw: HK$100 cash voucher for a randomly selected voting participant

9.1 For a team entry, the stated cash voucher will be awarded to the team as a whole, not to each individual team member.
9.2 Each member of a winning team will receive an individual certificate.
9.3 Team members are responsible for deciding how the cash voucher will be shared or used. The Organisers will not be involved in disputes relating to the allocation or use of a team prize.
9.4 Prizes are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash, alternative prizes, products, or services.
9.5 Winners must collect their prizes in person and present a valid PolyU Student Identity Card for identity verification. Alternative arrangements may be considered at the Organisers’ discretion.
9.6 The Organisers reserve the right to substitute a prize with another prize of comparable value if necessary.

9.7 Winners must present a valid PolyU Student Identity Card when collecting their prizes. Copies of Student Identity Cards will not be retained unless necessary and permitted under the applicable policies.

10.1 Each entry must be the participant’s or team’s original work and must not infringe any third party’s intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality, or other rights.
10.2 Participants must obtain all necessary permissions for any third-party content included in their entries, including images, music, videos, typefaces, product designs, and AI-generated or AI-assisted content.
10.3 Intellectual property rights in an entry will remain with the participant or team, subject to applicable PolyU policies and any pre-existing rights belonging to third parties.
10.4 For a team entry, the team members are responsible for agreeing among themselves on the ownership of any intellectual property arising from the entry.
10.5 By submitting an entry, participants grant the Organisers and Supporting Units a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to photograph, film, reproduce, display, publish, and promote the entry, together with the participants’ names and descriptions of the work, for judging, exhibition, educational, archival, and non-commercial promotional purposes.
10.6 The Organisers and Supporting Units may resize, crop, or reformat submitted images and materials for publication, provided that the substance of the work is not materially misrepresented.
10.7 Submission of an entry does not grant the Organisers, Supporting Units, or any PolyU department the automatic right to manufacture, sell, license, or otherwise commercially exploit the design.
10.8 If a PolyU department is interested in further studying, developing, manufacturing, or adopting a submitted design as a souvenir, IC may, with the participant’s consent, introduce the participant or team to the interested department.
10.9 Any further development, commercial production, licensing, sale, assignment of intellectual property, or other commercial use of the design must be subject to a separate written agreement between the relevant parties.
10.10 Participants are responsible for any claims, losses, damages, or expenses arising from their infringement of third-party rights.
10.11 Entries that have previously received an award in another competition are not eligible.
10.12 Participants should not include confidential, commercially sensitive, or potentially patentable information in materials intended for public exhibition unless they have taken appropriate steps to protect that information.

This is a personal information collection statement under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (“the Ordinance”) for the Waste to Wonder: PolyU Eco-Souvenir – Sustainable Product Design Competition 2026/2027 (“the Event”) jointly organized by Industrial Centre and Research Institute for Future Food of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (“PolyU”) (collectively, “the Organizers”) and supported by University Research Facility in 3D Printing, Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office, and School of Design Material Resource Centre of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (collectively, “the Supporting Units”).

11.1 Purpose of Collection
The personal data provided by you to the Organizers and Supporting Units will be collected, retained, processed, used and transferred (within or outside of Hong Kong) for the following purposes:
- Processing your application/ registration for the Event including the related payment (if any);
- Facilitating eligibility verification, judging, prize arrangements, exhibition, and publicity;
- Facilitating communications with you;
- Facilitating implementation of the Organizers and Supporting Units’ policies and procedures, and monitoring compliance with the same;
- Enabling the Organizers and Supporting Units to comply with any applicable procedures, laws, regulations or court orders (in each case whether in Hong Kong or overseas), any requests by government, statutory, regulatory or law enforcement authority, and valid legal processes, ordinances, obligations;
- Conducting quality assurance, surveys and review, statistical analysis, and research; and
- Other purposes directly relating to any of the above.

 

You are required to provide your personal data, other than those items indicated as optional. Failure to provide such data may lead to inability to process your application, registration or request for services, activities and facilities, or maintain contact with you.

11.2 Disclosure and Transfer of Personal Data
The Organizers and Supporting Units will keep your personal data confidential and only authorized members will have access to and handle your personal data. The Organizers and Supporting Units may disclose or transfer your personal data to service providers and contractors engaged in activities on behalf of the Organizers and Supporting Units within or outside Hong Kong solely for the purposes set out in paragraph 1 above.

The Organizers and Supporting Units may also disclose your personal data when authorized or required by law and in response to requests from law enforcement agencies, government departments or regulatory authorities, or where required to protect the Organizers and Supporting Units’ rights or properties.

11.3 Access and Correction of Personal Data
You have the right to request for access and correction of your personal data held by the Organizers and Supporting Units. Any data access and correction request according to the Ordinance should be made in writing to the Senior Executive Officer of Industrial Centre of PolyU at W309 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University or by email at sally.chan.ic@polyu.edu.hk. A fee may be imposed for processing your data access request.

11.4 Security, Accuracy and Retention of your Personal Data
The Organizers and Supporting Units takes reasonable precautions to prevent the loss, misappropriation, unauthorized access or destruction of your data. The Organizers and Supporting Units also takes reasonable steps to ensure that all personal data held by them is accurate, complete, correct and reliable for the intended use. Your personal data will be retained by the Organizers and Supporting Units for up to 12 months after the Event.

11.5 Privacy Policy Statement
You may refer to https://www.polyu.edu.hk/web/en/privacy_policy_statement/ and this page for the respective Privacy Policy Statements of the Organizers and Supporting Units.

12.1 Participants are responsible for delivering their physical prototypes to IC and for all associated transportation and delivery costs.
12.2 Participants agree that their prototypes may be displayed at locations and for periods determined by the Organisers for judging, public voting, exhibition, educational, and promotional purposes.
12.3 The Organisers will exercise reasonable care when handling, storing, transporting, and displaying submitted prototypes. However, to the extent permitted by law, the Organisers will not be liable for any loss of or damage to a prototype during delivery, storage, internal transportation, exhibition, or return.
12.4 Participants are advised not to submit irreplaceable materials and may arrange insurance at their own cost if necessary.
12.5 Submitted prototypes may be collected by participants after the award presentation. The collection period, location, and procedures will be announced by the Organisers.
12.6 If a PolyU department expresses an interest in further studying or developing a prototype as a souvenir, IC may invite the participant or team to discuss the opportunity and facilitate communication between the parties.
12.7 Any retention of a prototype beyond the announced collection period for further study or development will require the participant’s or team’s consent. Ownership of the prototype and its intellectual property will not be transferred unless separately agreed in writing.
12.8 Prototypes not collected by the announced deadline may be disposed of or recycled after reasonable notice has been given to the participant or team.

The Organisers reserve the right to disqualify a participant, team, or entry if:

• any eligibility requirement is not met;
• false, misleading, or incomplete information is provided;
• the entry is late or incomplete;
• the entry exceeds the permitted dimensions;
• the materials or prototype present a health or safety risk;
• the entry contains plagiarised material or infringes third-party rights;
• the participant interferes with or manipulates the judging or voting process;
• the participant fails to comply with these Terms and Conditions; or
• the participant engages in conduct that may bring PolyU or the Competition into disrepute.

 The Organisers’ decision regarding disqualification shall be final.

14.1 The Organisers reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions, change the Competition schedule or arrangements, suspend any activity, or cancel the Competition where reasonably necessary.
14.2 Participants will be informed of any material changes through the contact details provided during registration or through the Competition website.
14.3 In the event of any dispute, the Organisers reserve the right to make the final decision.
14.4 Participation in the Competition constitutes acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

For further information, please contact:
Mr Eric Tsang
Telephone: 3400 3084
Email: wf.tsang@polyu.edu.hk