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Jimmy Chow

A Hong Kong environmental group dedicated to combating plastic pollution has resorted to flies to compost organic waste.
A Plastic Ocean Foundation, founded in 2013, first gained international attention for its award-winning documentary, which exposed the dire impact of plastic pollution on marine life.
A Plastic Ocean has inspired millions around the globe, but the foundation’s mission has not stopped there. It has since evolved into an organisation spearheading on-the-ground conservation efforts, scientific research and educational outreach.
“We started with the film to raise awareness, but by 2019, we knew we had to do more,” Willy Kwong Ho-yin, executive director of the foundation, said.
“Our focus shifted to direct conservation work. We wanted to be part of the solution, not just talking about the problem.”
One of the foundation’s initiatives focuses on promoting the use of black soldier flies to encourage behavioural change among residents and support sustainable waste management practices.
This approach fosters a circular economy by transforming waste into valuable resources, such as organic fertilisers and protein-rich animal feeds.
“The larvae of black soldier flies feed voraciously on various types of organic matter, including food waste, and from our observation, reduce the weight of the waste by about 50 per cent – and at a much faster rate than traditional composting methods,” said Jasmine Siu Yin-nam, the organisation’s senior education officer.
“This process is highly efficient and low-carbon, making it an ideal sustainable solution for Hong Kong’s waste management challenges.”
The project has been introduced to schools across Hong Kong as a hands-on learning experience.
“We’ve brought this into schools and companies, where people can see first-hand how these insects break down waste,” Siu said.
“The students love it. They get over their initial fear and start playing with the larvae, realising they’re not harmful at all. They’re fascinated by how these tiny creatures can solve such a big problem.”
A Plastic Ocean Foundation has been selected as a finalist for the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards 2024 in the sustainability category.
The awards are an annual event jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and property developer Sino Group to honour remarkable individuals whose endeavours might otherwise go unnoticed.

Isabella Tung Wai-yee, the foundation’s head of partnership, explained that the organisation encouraged active participation rather than passive observation.
“We have developed workshops where students and corporate groups learn first-hand how black soldier fly larvae process food waste into larval biomass and frass.”
According to Tung, the goal was to make sustainability tangible, and by handling the larvae and witnessing the transformation of waste, participants can gain a new perspective on how their everyday actions contribute to waste.
These workshops, part of the foundation’s broader public education campaign, are designed to inspire long-term behavioural changes.
The goal is to educate the public not only about plastic pollution but also about sustainable waste management solutions.
“When people – especially young children – physically engage with something like black soldier flies, it becomes real to them. They see how waste can be repurposed, and it makes them think twice before throwing something away,” Edison Liu Tak-pang, the foundation’s head of partnership, said.

Beyond schools, the foundation’s black soldier fly projects have also been adopted by businesses such as restaurants and hotels. Several companies are using black soldier flies to process food waste on-site, turning what was once a liability into a resource.
On the other front, the foundation continues to grow its impact through partnerships with NGOs, schools and the business community.
Their beach clean-up initiatives have also become a signature of their work, regularly mobilising volunteers to clear Hong Kong’s beaches of plastic debris.
“When people pick up plastic bottles, food packaging, or other everyday items, it hits them that they’re part of the problem. It’s that realisation that we hope sticks with them long after the clean-up is over,” Tung said.
Kwong said: “Being named a finalist means a lot to us.
“We’ve come a long way since the film, but our mission is far from over. We want to change how society views plastic waste and move towards a world where sustainability is the norm, not the exception.”


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Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: transforming waste into animal feed with black soldier flies

A Plastic Ocean Foundation uses black soldier flies to compost food waste. Photo: Kong Yat-pang

Photo: SCMP

(From left) The foundation’s team: Willy Kwong, Jasmine Siu, Isabella Tung and Edison Liu. Photo: Kong Yat-pang

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News

Hong Kong

Society

A Plastic Ocean Foundation has been selected as a finalist for Spirit of Hong Kong Awards 2024 in sustainability category


A Plastic Ocean Foundation has been selected as a finalist for Spirit of Hong Kong Awards 2024 in sustainability category.


Spirit of Hong Kong