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The 15th Canon x McDull Inter-school Ink Cartridge Recycling Award Presentation Ceremony took place at Canon Image Square in Hong Kong on July 4, according to a statement from Canon Hong Kong. Organisers presented awards to eight schools in the highest number of recycled ink cartridges category while staging a STEAM parent-child workshop immediately afterward. Participants in the session assembled handcraft camera models, created personalised designs and examined core concepts in photography and optics as part of the educational focus.
Canon Hong Kong launched its ink cartridge recycling program in 2009 under the Kyosei philosophy of harmonious coexistence and enlisted the McDull cartoon character as ambassador before extending the effort to schools two years later. The company said more than 300 organisations now host collection points while its campaign site lists 319 active recycling boxes. Over 230 environmental seminars organised through the initiative have reached approximately 70,000 students to date.
As of June 2026 the program had collected and processed 295,000 ink cartridges, Canon Hong Kong reported in its announcement issued on July 10. The collections support waste reduction by recovering plastics and metals that would otherwise enter landfills. Previous editions of the competition have shown steady growth in both participation and volume, building on the foundation established over the past 15 years.
Ms. Candy Mau, director of the corporate communications and general administration division, delivered remarks that tied the activity to larger sustainability goals. “The escalating threat of global warming reminds us to protect the environment,” she said in the company statement. “We should promote environmental protection to the young generation from an early age and urge schools to work together to build a better and sustainable society.”
The local program aligns with Canon Inc.’s global resource efficiency targets, which include a goal of 50 percent resource recycling rate by 2030 across business groups. Canon Inc. sustainability materials show the company has maintained a 99.9 percent recycling rate for collected cartridges and products since 2017. Canon Hong Kong, set up in 1971 as part of the Japanese group founded in 1937 with US$30 billion in global revenue last year, holds multiple ISO certifications covering quality and environmental standards.
Schools interested in joining the competition can establish collection points through Canon Hong Kong, which continues to invite broader participation from primary and secondary institutions across the city. The company noted that proper recycling of genuine cartridges maximises material recovery and minimises environmental impact. Annual ceremonies such as the latest event reinforce the message that collective small actions contribute to measurable progress in waste reduction and youth education.
