Sustainable solutions to tackling Hong Kong’s food wastage problem

In 2022, an average of 3,300 tonnes of food waste is disposed in landfills every day, making up for 30% of all waste we generate.[1]Landfilled food waste produces methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times stronger than carbon dioxide.[2] It is estimated that food loss and waste contributed to 8% of the GHG emissions globally.[3] We waste a lot of food from unsold food surpluses to unfinished meals. Yet, one million people in Hong Kong go hungry every day.[4] Food waste is a societal, environmental and financial problem; how can we solve it?

At schools, for instance, some students may find lunch box portions too large. Schools can encourage students to bring their own lunch, so they can better manage portions. Schools could also adopt on-site meal portioning where students can ask for their desired portion, reducing waste. Similarly, restaurants can offer discount to customers opting for a smaller meal portion. They can also take the initiative to pack unfinished portions of meals for customers to take home (preferably not with disposable plastic containers).

Students can ask for smaller portions at schools with on-site meal portioning (Image Source: EPD)

What about edible food that goes unsold in markets? Local charities, like Food Angel and Foodlink, collect surplus food from their donors and deliver to the underprivileged, alleviating poverty while also tackling food waste.[5]^,[6]In France, large supermarkets are even obligated to partner with a food aid organisation to donate unsold food instead of throwing them away.[7]

Unsold food can be transformed into hot meals for the underprivileged (Image source: Food Angel)

With some creativity, unsold, uneaten food can also be turned into new products. In Hong Kong, a food upcycling startup brews craft beer out of surplus bread.[8] Elsewhere, an Israel start-up buys "ugly” vegetables that would not get sold to retailers from farmers, turning them into nutrient-dense ready meals.[9]

Breer brews beer from unsold, uneaten, and surplus bread (Image source: HKUST)

Even at homes, we can do better. Have you thrown away food because they are past their "best before" date? A previous study we commissioned showed many food products past their "best before” date are still safe to eat or use, as long as they are in good condition.

Expired "best before” food can still be consumed (Image source: Friends of the Earth (HK))

Reduce, reuse and recycle are important in tackling Hong Kong’s food wastage problem. There are many things we can do to cherish our food while also creating a win-win situation, where we reduce pressure on landfills, tackle climate change, and support the community.