Hong Kong is currently generating more than 3000 tons of food waste every day which generate air pollution problem and create odor nuisance to residents near landfill site. It is critical for us to reduce waste generation at sources and find ways to treat our food waste instead of solely rely on landfill. The aim of this paper is to propose a food waste to energy system to be installed in high-rise buildings which helps save our landfill space and utilize waste energy to generate electricity and heat for building use. It is estimated that around one ton of food waste will be generated from a domestic household building and hence the proposed food waste to energy system is designed to have treatment capacity of 1 ton of food waste per day. A total of 238.1 Nm3 of biogas, with 53.5% methane content can be generated from one ton of food waste. With the use of combined heat and power (CHP) system, 465 kWh of electricity and 732 kWh of heat can be generated. A survey is conducted to assess the public view of the food waste problem in Hong Kong and the proposed food waste to energy system. It is found that most of the respondent agrees the proposed food waste to energy is a good mean to tackle food waste problem in Hong Kong and support to install such system in high-rise buildings. A life cycle assessment is carried out to compare the environmental impact of landfilling 1 ton of food waste and treating 1 ton of food waste with the proposed system. It is found that the carbon emission (CO2 equivalent) of the proposed system is 1112.6 kg less than that of landfilling, i.e. the proposed system can help to save 406.1 ton of carbon dioxide emission a year which equals to planting of 17,656 trees. The economic viability of installing the proposed system is evaluated. The capital investment and the operating cost for the proposed system are estimated to be HK$3,400,000 and HK$ 170,000 per year respectively. As the proposed system can bring in revenue of HK$ 763,986 per year, the internal rate of return (IRR) and payback period of the system is 15% and 6 years respectively. Limitations and difficulties encountered for the installation of the proposed system are discussed and finally suggestions are made for the successful installation of the proposed system and several ways to reduce food waste from sources are also suggested for both commercial sectors and the government. / published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Waste to energy (WTE) has been used in some Asian and European countries for decades. It has been re-considered in Hong Kong to solve the landfill space shortage problem since 2000. The consideration was planned for over 10 years but still has not been implemented due to political and social problem. Due to all landfills will be reaching their designated capacity before 2020, there is urgent need to explore other means of disposal. Based on international experience in this study, three technologies are identified to have high potentials, moving grate incineration, anaerobic digestion and plasma gasification. Although moving grate incineration are the most widely used as core technology for large scale plant, anaerobic digestion and plasma gasification are more socially acceptable due to its technological difference. Plasma gasification is a newer technology on waste treatment that the government should explore on the integrated waste management facilities project. The use of all technology variants will cause certain social impacts, and the best use of the facilities affects the benefit to society and influences the public’s view. In the study, the IWMF and OWTF are generally support by the public, but the public’s views are dispersed. Currently the public concerns about the site selection and health & safety problem of both government plan, and required the improvement of recycling and source separation system. Also public are lacking the knowledge of waste management option that Hong Kong could take to solve the waste problem, indicating the need of better government-general public communication mechanism. The government has to do better planning for the use of WTE and engage the public on different level to minimise the social opposition voice in order to proceed with the WTE plan. Policy to gain public support and remove obstacle from private sector are the major works required instead of pure technical report on the choice of WTE facilities as the government has done in the last decade. / published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

by Li Pak Cheong. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1980. / Bibliography: leaf 82.

by Yuen Wing-wah, Ricky, Fung Wai-hung, Eugene. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1990. / Bibliography: leaf 64. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.vii / PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT --- p.viii / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT --- p.3 / Air Pollution Control Ordinance --- p.3 / Air Control Zones --- p.3 / Fuel Oil Consumption in Hong Kong --- p.6 / Chapter III. --- CURRENT FUEL OIL MARKET --- p.11 / Types of Oil Fuel --- p.11 / Market Share of Oil Fuel --- p.12 / Chapter IV. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.15 / Purpose of the Study --- p.15 / Need for the Study --- p.15 / Target Respondent --- p.16 / Population and Sampling --- p.16 / Data Collection Method --- p.18 / Chapter V. --- ANALYSIS OF DATA --- p.19 / Demographic Charactertistics --- p.19 / Position --- p.19 / Geographical Distribution --- p.19 / Industry --- p.20 / Users' Views of Market --- p.22 / Usage of Supplier --- p.22 / Types of Supplier --- p.24 / Users' Evaluation of Supplier --- p.26 / Attitude to Existing Government Regulation --- p.30 / Concern Over the Government Regulation --- p.32 / Understanding of Different Oil Fuels --- p.34 / Knowledge of Sulphur Content --- p.37 / Expenditure on Oil Fuel --- p.39 / Chapter VI. --- POTENTIAL OF NEW MARKET --- p.41 / Willingness to Switch Product --- p.41 / Reactions to New Fuel Oil Concept --- p.45 / Chapter VII. --- SUMMARY --- p.48 / Chapter VIII. --- CONCLUSION --- p.50 / APPENDIX --- p.51 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.64