As part of our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we visited T·Park, Hong Kong’s state-of-the-art sludge treatment facility that embodies the principles of waste-to-energy and circular economy. T·Park is more than just a treatment plant—it’s a sustainability landmark. It transforms sewage sludge into energy, reducing landfill waste and generating electricity to power its operations. This aligns closely with SDGs7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDGs13 (Climate Action)

VISIT HIGHLIGHT The visit began with a view of T·Park’s impressive architecture, blending modern design with greenery. The facility demonstrates how infrastructure can be both functional and environmentally friendly. Post that we were briefed via an engaging multimedia presentation featuring dynamic visuals projected on the walls. This session introduced us with the concept of waste-to-energy and set the tone for the day, emphasizing how T·Park contributes to a greener future.

Then, we started our learning through interactive exhibits. We joined a guided tour which broke down the process into clear steps:

• Collection – Sludge from wastewater treatment plants is transported to T-Park.
• Incineration: Advanced thermal technology incinerates sludge at high temperatures, reducing its volume by 90%.
• Energy Recovery: Heat generated during incineration is captured and converted into electricity.
• Reuse: Electricity powers the facility, and excess energy is fed into the grid.

After the guided tour, we saw the actual incineration and energy recovery machines up close. Witnessing these massive systems in operation gave us a real sense of the scale and efficiency of T·Park’s waste-to-energy process.

One of the most unique features of T·Park is its eco spa, where heat recovered from the sludge incineration process is used to warm spa pools. We ended our visit to T- Park with our employees enjoying this relaxing experience, which perfectly illustrates how waste-to-energy can be applied in creative and sustainable ways.

We returned with the key takeaway being that Sustainability is not just a concept but it’s a practice and everyone needs to incorporate it their day-to-day activities. Every small step like reducing waste and conserving energy contributes to global goals.

Thank you to all the participants who attended and made it a memorable event. We are Carol, Rio, Alvin and Rahul, committee members of SDGs project group at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust (Hong Kong).