PolyU is committed to a continuous effort to instill sustainability into the many aspects of university life, on our campuses, and in our offices. The Green Officers paid a visit to the St James’ Settlement Jockey Club Upcycling Centre in September 2019 and brought home with them some upcycling ideas and sustainability values. As a part of the training under the Green PolyU Awards – Green Office programme, this visit brought the Green Officers away from campus to see how local communities appreciate and incorporate sustainability values in their business model. St James’ Settlement Jockey Club Upcycling Centre operates to promote environmental protection and eco-lifestyle by creating upcycling products. The Centre conducts discussions with major local corporations and organizations and receives their donations of used or leftover materials. It has a strong network of local designers as its partners, who use these so-called ‘waste’ and unwanted stuff in their new product designs. Besides, the Centre involves people with disabilities in the manufacturing process of these upcycled products, which is another contribution to social responsibility.
The visit offered the Green Officers an impressive lesson on upcycling ideas by local designers and insights on making good use of waste material. The unwanted plastic bottles can be turned into a piece of audio equipment. Unwanted home appliances become musical tools. The fan guards of electric fans become the essential parts of a stool. Used banners and curtains transform themselves into handbags or pouches. These are the vivid and imaginative illustrations of a meaningful repurposing of waste.
Besides touring around the Centre, the Green Officers also participated in a session to make their customized cardholders from wallpaper samples. They had their hands-on work and physical activities to experience how they can design and upcycle. They also had a precious lesson on how to repurpose waste and a good understanding of sustainability concepts by doing and experimenting.
