• Sustaincia and Macau Anglican College held a workshop in July focused on food waste treatment and resource recycling technologies.
• The workshop aimed to promote environmental protection concepts and innovative practices of sustainable development among secondary school students.

Macau Sustainable Development Association (Sustaincia) and Macau Anglican College collaborated in early July to successfully hold a five-day summer workshop. The event focused on food waste treatment and resource recycling technologies, aiming to promote environmental protection concepts and innovative practices of sustainable development among secondary school students.

Over 300 secondary school students participated in the workshop, where association members and experts provided systematic explanations on various methods of converting food waste into high-value resources.

In the food waste processing segment, the workshop highlighted the use of food waste to produce a planting medium that regulates soil acidity and can replace traditional soil.

Plastic recycling was another key practical focus. Under guidance, students personally handled discarded plastic bottles, including sorting and cleaning them, then cutting and crushing them into plastic fragments. These fragments were melted through special equipment (similar in principle to a cotton candy machine) and extruded into fibers. These recycled fibers can be further processed into practical products such as ropes, doll stuffing or cushion inserts.

In addition to technical practice, the workshop arranged lectures to inspire students to think about how to reduce food waste at the source and explore innovative reuse solutions for unavoidable food waste. The association stated that after the event, they collected a large amount of feedback from students, with overall positive evaluations.

Cultivating green innovation among youth by equipping secondary students with hands-on experience in food waste conversion and plastic recycling, Sustaincia is nurturing a generation of eco-conscious innovators who can contribute to Macau’s shift toward green industries and circular economy models. In addition, their school collaborations position sustainability education as a viable growth area – diversifying Macau’s knowledge economy beyond tourism and gaming, while aligning with global ESG trends.