Hiu Ming Hugh is a Wastewater Treatment Plant Technician at SUEZ NWS R&R (Hong Kong) Limited, where he is involved in the daily operation and maintenance of the plant, in particular the collection and treatment of wastewater produced in the waste transfer station. The treatment plant uses an aerobic bacterial reaction to treat wastewater, so the main responsibilities include the removal of insoluble solids and floating oil, aeration, desludging with a filter press, and discharging wastewater with the approval of the governmental department for the environment. Although his current role can be repetitive and involves hard manual work, he notes that, as a multi-national waste management company, there are a lot of resources and opportunities for training available.

Hiu Ming Hugh has a BSc in Environment and Sustainability from Keele University in the UK and, prior to this, worked for several environmental NGOs and companies, including for a natural education company conveying the message of environmental protection to students and as a clerk for a food waste reduction company. After graduating from his Bachelors degree, he returned to Hong Kong and worked for an indoor air quality company before securing his current position.

He is currently working towards an MSc degree in Environmental Management and Engineering. He is undertaking his studies part-time around his current role and notes that it can be very stressful to maintain both professional work and academic study. He hopes that the completion of his MSc degree will open the door to greater opportunities in the environment sector, preferably in the waste management field. 

In the long run, Hiu Ming Hugh would like to start his own business. Currently in Hong Kong, the recycling industry has a lot of niches to be filled; for example, wood and garden waste is still recycled at a rate lower than 10%. He believes that, with the capital and relevant knowledge, this would be a field worth exploring further as a business opportunity in the future. 

Hiu Ming Hugh joined the IES in 2019 as an Associate member to help progress his environmental and sustainability knowledge and to keep up-to-date with the latest news, markets and technologies. He also finds membership to be a useful tool in understanding the career paths of others in the sector, providing examples of successful environmental professionals to look up to.