Turns out food waste isn't just headed for the landfill anymore as Hong Kong's food waste recycling efforts are showing significant progress, with the city recycling an average of 350 tons of food waste daily in 2025. Domestic food waste recycling has seen especially strong growth, rising from about two tons per day in 2022 to over 120 tons daily in 2025.

A key driver behind the increase is the Pilot Scheme on Food Waste Smart Recycling Bins in Private Housing Estates, launched in 2023 by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC). As of February, 453 smart recycling bins have already been installed across 115 private housing estates, serving more than 270,000 households. With this, participating estates have collectively recycled over 7,300 tons of food waste.

The smart recycling bins accept various types of food waste, including hard food waste, and feature odor control, pest prevention, and overflow management systems. Residents can also earn GREEN$ points through the connected incentive program, which are redeemable for daily necessities and supermarket vouchers.

To expand participation, the Government lowered the scheme's eligibility requirement in 2025, allowing smaller housing estates to join. The EPD also introduced a Food Waste Recycling Truck trial at the end of 2025, visiting different locations nightly to further promote food waste recycling across the city.

Together, these initiatives show how Hong Kong is making food waste recycling more accessible and rewarding, encouraging more residents to turn everyday food scraps into a valuable environmental resource. For more details, visit the EPD and ECC's website.