Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced from the pyrolysis of biomass, has gained increasing attention for its versatile applications in environmental remediation, particularly in wastewater treatment. This workshop will explore the relationship between biochar and water pollution mitigation.

Through a combination of theoretical knowledge, demonstrations and hands-on practical activities, participants will have the opportunity to explore the fundamental principles of biochar preparation, and delve into the mechanisms behind its adsorption capabilities and subsequent utilization as an effective adsorbent in treating wastewater contaminated with dyes.

Join this workshop to gain insights into the sustainable potential of biochar as a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution for addressing water pollution challenges, as well as innovative approaches in advancing environmental sustainability practices within the realm of wastewater treatment.

Many food products are discarded due to their substandard quality rather than concerns about their nutritional and safety attributes. One effective way to reduce food waste is to consume products that have passed their best-before date but not their actual use-by date.

In this workshop, students can conduct nutritional analyses on discarded food products using various analytical techniques. They will observe that food products surpassing their best-before date still retain similar nutritional values to new products, affirming their safety for consumption.

This workshop aims to guide participants in creating an AI chatbot with the capability to guide users in comprehending waste collection. Through the development process, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the applications of Machine Learning, particularly Natural Language Processing (NLP). The recent use of AI chatbots in the education sector has shown promising potential, and participants have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with this technology.

The new waste charging scheme will allow citizens to purchase designated waste bags in nine different sizes, ranging from HKD 0.3 to HKD 11. The goal of this workshop is to learn and study various bin-packing algorithms to fit rubbish into these different-sized designated waste bags in order to reduce unnecessary expenditure.

This workshop aims to facilitate the DIY development of a smart bin by applying smart sensors and actuator. Participants will be provided with a microcontroller, smart sensors and actuator that can be assembled to detect the presence of rubbish, and monitor the level of bin usage using an internet-enabled web browser. During the workshop, participants will learn microcontroller coding and mathematical calibration equation so they will be able to retrofit the smart bin for their own application.

This workshop aims to provide participants with an understanding of the significance of low-carbon living for environmental conservation and sustainable development. They will have the opportunity to create personal mosquito repellent products by using natural materials. They also learn about the principles and methods of natural mosquito repellents, gaining an understanding of how they work.

Through this activity, participants can experience the joy of creating their own natural and personalized soaps by hand, and also gain a deeper understanding of natural products, environmental conservation, and sustainable lifestyles.

There are various types of municipal organic waste such as food waste, industrial organic waste, sludge from wastewater treatment plants, and waste cooking oil. They present significant environmental challenges, however, they can be converted into valuable biofuel and biopolymers using biological processes. One of these processes is anaerobic digestion to create a biogas composed mainly of methane. At the same time, dark fermentation can be used to produce hydrogen.

Come and learn about these exciting and promising techniques for converting municipal organic waste into energy and into polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which are biopolymers. PHAs have characteristics similar to plastics, but they are biodegradable! These green plastics can effectively replace conventional plastics in various applications, including agriculture, plasticware, pharmaceuticals, and packaging industries.

Plastic waste is a major source of environmental problems, and recycling plays an essential role in minimizing its effects. The most crucial step in plastic recycling is the separation of different types of plastics. In this demonstration, we will show how plastics can be separated based on their distinguishing properties.

Participants will visit the State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis (OEW902) and the Central Facility Laboratory (OEW501) to observe the instruments for environmental and biological analysis.

This activity teaches the concept of IoT in waste management and enables students to learn the working mechanism of a self-powered IoT smart bin through demonstration.

In this activity, participants will have the opportunity to understand the development and motivation behind waste management in our city and recognize the importance of implementing IoT in waste management. Additionally, participants will learn the working mechanism of a self-powered IoT smart bin through a demonstration, and gain in-depth knowledge of the scientific principles behind different components of the smart bin, such as sensors and indoor solar cells. The IoT smart bin is powered by indoor light energy harvesting, and it transmits information about the bin's status, such as the remaining available space and rubbish weight, to an IoT server for further decision-making.

The exhibition showcases the computer science students’ accomplishments in projects related to green community, AI, education, health informatics, and more. Visitors can witness students’ capability to develop innovative applications and systems using AI technology, and open up new possibilities in education, and green community. Additionally, visitors will understand how students harness the power of data analysis and information technology to drive positive societal changes.

The exhibition showcases video entries created by a group of Hong Kong secondary school students participating in the “Waste-Free Science Competition” at Science Festival 2024. These video entries are designated to address environmental sustainability and waste reduction. By watching the videos, visitors can gain insight into how the younger generation integrates science and technology to unlock their boundless creativity for achieving waste reduction.

Three educational game booths will be offered by Greenlink to educate participants about environmental protection.

Food Waste Ring Toss: to raise awareness about the issue of food waste and encourage participants to take action to reduce food waste generation.

Low-carbon Living Jenga Tower: to introduce participants to the concept of a low-carbon lifestyle and encourage them to incorporate environmentally-friendly practices into their daily lives.

Eliminate the Resource-wasting Monsters: to introduce participants to the concept of a low-carbon lifestyle and encourage them to incorporate environmentally-friendly practices into their daily lives.