News

RCRE Director edited a Special Issue of “Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) by Waste and Concrete”

The special issue of “Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) by Waste and Concrete”, edited by Prof. Chi Sun Poon (Director of RCRE), has recently been published in Cement and Concrete Composites, a top concrete materials journal. The special issue covers recent advances in the science and technology of using waste and concrete to capture CO2 as a means to reduce the carbon emissions of the global construction industry.  

RCRE Associate Director, Prof. Shipeng Zhang, was featured in Asian Power

Prof. Shipeng Zhang, Associate Director of RCRE and Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), was recently featured in an online interview by Asian Power, a quarterly publication for the power generation, transmission, and distribution industry in the Asia Pacific region. The conversation focused on the importance of waste-to-energy technologies in Hong Kong and the latest government policies and regulations supporting their development. Published on 8 July 2025 under the title “Waste-to-energy ties with mainland key to Hong Kong’s green goals,” the article highlights Prof. Zhang’s view that partnerships with Mainland China’s waste-to-energy incinerators are essential for Hong Kong to meet its zero-waste objectives. With the city targeting the closure of landfills by 2035, tapping into these cross-border facilities will be critical to achieving a sustainable waste management strategy. To read more about Prof. Zhang’s perspectives, please visit:  https://hongkongbusiness.hk/exclusive/waste-energy-ties-mainland-key-hong-kongs-green-goals  

PolyU RCRE Seminar: The UK Perspectives of Valorisation of Incineration Bottom Ash for Construction Material Applications

Prof. Christopher Cheeseman of Imperial College London delivered a seminar on the topic of “The UK Perspectives of Valorisation of Incineration Bottom Ash for Construction Material Applications” on 6 June 2025. The seminar was co-organized with CEE of PolyU. Over 60 participants joined the seminar.

RCRE Member received PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award (YIRA) 2025

Congratulations to Dr Yong TAO, Research Assistant Professor of CEE and Member of RCRE, for being selected as one of the awardees of PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award (YIRA) 2025. Dr Tao’s winning project, entitled “Advancing CO2 Mineralisation and Waste Concrete Valorisation for a Sustainable Future”, focuses on upcycling waste concrete into low-carbon building materials for sustainable construction. This prestigious university-level award honors young faculty members who have demonstrated originality, contributed to technological advancement, and propelled transformational innovation into solutions addressing global challenges through their research. This year, a high record of 70 submissions were received across all schools and faculties in PolyU. After a comprehensive selection process, six exceptional individuals have been selected as YIRA awardees.   

Delegation Visit of Zhejiang Run Sheng New Energy Co., Ltd. & RCRE Seminar

A delegation of Zhejiang Run Sheng New Energy Co., Ltd. (浙江潤昇新能源有限公司) visited the RCRE on 25 April 2025. Potential collaborative research on recycling technologies was discussed during the visit. Mr. Zheng Jinwei (鄭金偉) of Zhejiang Run Sheng New Energy Co., Ltd. also gave a seminar on the topic of 城市建築垃圾和生物質固廢資源化/能源化項目. Over 70 participants joined the seminar.

RCRE Director on Hong Kong’s Eco-brick Development

Ir Prof. Poon Chi-sun, Director of RCRE, was interviewed by China Daily Hong Kong Edition on his contributions to the development of eco-bricks in Hong Kong.   Online coverage: China Daily Hong Kong Edition - https://polyu.me/42lkrxQ

RCRE Director and Members won Awards at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva

Congratulations to RCRE Director and 3 members for winning a total of 4 accolades at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva in Switzerland. The 4 accolades include 3 Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury and 1 Gold Medal. The award-winning projects are listed below.  Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury – “CO2-driven Superhydrophobic Carbon-sink Concrete” by Ir Prof. Chi-sun POON Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury – “Smart Fire Extinguisher for Spacecraft” by Prof. Xinyan HUANG Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury – “SweatMD: Health-monitoring Wearable Sweat Sensor” by Prof. Dahua SHOU Gold Medal – “Multi-mode Optical Characterisation Interferometer (MOCI)” by Prof. Benny Chi-fai CHEUNG  

PolyU RCRE Webinar Series: Day-and-Night Energy Solution: A Device for Continuous Power Generation

Ir Prof. Vivien Lu (BEEE) delivered a webinar with the topic of “Day-and-Night Energy Solution: A Device for Continuous Power Generation” on 7 April 2025. The webinar was co-organized with CEE of PolyU. Over 80 participants joined the webinar.

RCRE Director introduces Eco-blocks in Short Film “Carbon Revolution in China”

Ir Prof. Poon Chi-sun, Director of RCRE, was featured in the short film “Carbon Revolution in China” produced by the Hong Kong Coalition to introduce the Eco-blocks developed by his team. Eco-block is a type of green construction material produced from construction and other waste materials.   Online coverage: Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4hMF1vN (3:01 - 4:50) HK01 - https://polyu.me/4hIeY99 (3:01 - 4:50) Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/42G9IP6 (3:01 - 4:50) Bauhinia - https://polyu.me/40Q6uWR (3:01 - 4:50)    

RCRE Member has been elected as Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering 2024

Congratulations to Ir Prof. Xiao Lin Zhao, Chair Professor of Civil Infrastructure of CEE and Member of RCRE, for being elected as Fellow of the Hong Kong Academic of Engineering (HKAE) in recognition of his exceptional expertise and remarkable contributions to the field of engineering.