The Project

The project "Reef-connect: Connecting Collaboration for Transforming Food Waste into Marine Habitats" aims to restore Hong Kong's marine ecosystem by fostering connections between restaurants, fishermen, students, and the general public. With landfill sites approaching capacity and the implementation of a waste charging scheme by the local government, urgent action is needed to address the pressing issue of food waste, which contributes 30% of Hong Kong's daily waste. This project seeks to work with restaurants to recycle natural materials on-site, reducing carbon emissions from decomposition and minimizing the carbon footprint associated with transportation. The project consists of three phases: materials sourcing, fabricating and deploying shell units on a fish raft, and conducting a biodiversity monitoring session. Local fishermen and restaurants will provide the reef-making materials and prepare them for use. Students will participate in a field trip to fabricate and deploy the restoration units, while a subsequent biodiversity monitoring session will involve species identification and data collection.