Swap to the Top! Celebrating the Champions of Campus Swap Challenge
A huge congratulations to the winners of our "Swap to the Top" Challenge! This summer, we designed a competition to energize our campus community and encourage staff to give office items a second life through our in-house Campus Swap Platform.
The HKUST Campus Swap Platform is a sustainable initiative that allows colleagues to upload unused office furniture and supplies. Other departments can then browse available items and claim them directly, reducing waste and promoting a circular economy right here on campus.
During the challenge, colleagues actively uploading useful items like desks, chairs, and stationery. We are thrilled to recognize the three departments that went above and beyond in contributing the most useful items:
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SIGHT Team (Admin: Kahlen Chan; Award accepted by: Prof. Malinda)
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Department of Accounting (Admin: Juno Tung)
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Health, Safety and Environment Office (HSEO) (Admin: Susanne Leung)
During the award presentation, the winning teams shared valuable feedback and insights, highlighting the collaborative spirit behind the platform and its future potential.
Voices from the Winners: Insights and Inspiration
HSEO – Lab Service Team: A Blueprint for Collaboration and Expansion
The HSEO team revealed that uploading items was a true team effort, with one colleague gathering information and taking photos, while the admin staff handled the listing process. They also provided crucial suggestions for growth:
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Temporary Storage: A dedicated storage space for listed items would streamline the process, especially for offices with limited space.
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Expanding the Platform: HSEO already runs a successful chemical exchange program and suggested potential to integrate it, along with unused lab equipment and glassware, into the Campus Swap platform to facilitate wider resource sharing across the university.
Department of Accounting: Small Actions, Big Impact
The ACCT team demonstrated that every contribution counts. “Even though we were only uploading small items like stationery,” they shared, “it is still good that we are able to find a home for unused and useful items. It shows that small actions together create big changes.”
SIGHT Team: A Testament to Second Chances
Deeply involved in global sustainability projects like plastic recycling and upcycling in Sri Lanka, the SIGHT team understands the hidden value in discarded items. For them, using the platform is a natural extension of their mission. “Uploading items is a testimony of their value,” they explained, “and how we truly believe in giving items a second chance.”
The Future of Swap: More Ways to Share and Care
The success of the "Swap to the Top" Challenge is just the beginning. We hope this platform will become a go-to resource for all colleagues to share items deserving of a second life.
And our plans are expanding! In future, items uploaded to the platform will not only find new homes across campus but will also have the opportunity to be donated to charities or local schools, extending our positive impact beyond the university gates.
Thank you to everyone who participated. Here’s to creating a more sustainable and collaborative HKUST, one swap at a time!
