The Baoshan Sanitation Center embodies the transition toward a circular future, where waste is minimized and reused. The Museum of Waste is part of the visitors’ center and a core component to an immersive education experience through the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant facility.

The museum is made up of a sequence of thematic spaces designed for school children to experience the ‘Story of Trash’. Through these immersive environments, textbooks and lectures are left behind as the children are transported through time, encountering the dinosaurs, the birth of fossil fuels, the industrial revolution, and the revolutionary inventions of plastics and semiconductors. On this journey through space and time the young minds gradually come face to face with the overwhelming scope of the waste problem but also are empowered to think about their own role in addressing the waste challenge.

Once the children have delved into the history of trash and its relevance to our lives today in the first three exhibition rooms and connecting hallways, their adventure continues in the WTE experience hall. The hall offers an up-close view of the key elements of the Waste to Energy plant, such as crane operations, control room, incineration, baghouse filtration and turbine room, showcasing the various stages of waste processing. In our design of the turbine room BAM included a 4D cinema experience around the narrative to the ‘Story of Trash’. This immersive experience brings the inner workings of WTE to life, allowing the young visitors to witness the transformation of waste into energy and fostering their curiosity and awareness about sustainable waste management practices.