Food waste in Hong Kong is the largest category of municipal solid waste that ends up in landfills. According to the Environmental Protection Department, about 11,057 tonnes of municipal solid waste were disposed of at landfills every single day in 2019, 30% or 3,353 tonnes of which are food waste. More than 1,000 tonnes of this food waste are generated by restaurants, hotels, wet markets, and other commercial and industrial sources.
So, how is Hong Kong solving its food waste problem? While reducing waste at source by avoiding creating waste in the first place is the most important step, there are local organizations in the region who are doing their part to keep food from ending up in the landfills.
Here are five food rescue groups in Hong Kong that are saving the region’s surplus food.
Food Grace
Food Grace, established in 2009, is an organization in Hong Kong that’s committed to food recycling. Its work in waste reduction is rooted in the “Low Waste, Low Carbon Foot, and Local Network” philosophy, making Food Grace a platform that links society’s sectors by recycling food leftovers produced by industries and donating these to minorities and underserved families. Food Grace has three food recycling centers in Tai Po, Yuen Long, and Kwai Chung.
Feeding Hong Kong
Feeding Hong Kong rescues quality surplus food from companies and inspects and stores this surplus food before tapping to their charity network to redistribute the food to communities in need. Since 2011, Feeding Hong Kong has rescued 4,000 tonnes of food from landfills, donated surplus food to 420 food companies, redistributed food to 150 charities, and donated over 12 million meals. Those who wish to help can volunteer for Feeding Hong Kong, donate cash or in-kind, or host a food drive.
Foodlink Foundation
Foodlink Foundation, founded in 2001, is a registered charity in Hong Kong that aims to fight hunger and build self-sufficiency by partnering with Hong Kong hotels and food and beverage outlets to reduce food waste. Foodlink has different programs available, such as the Hot Food Program, which involves collecting meals already cooked by food donors; the Bread Program, where they collaborate with local bakeries and convenience stores to save unsold bread; the Banquet Program, where they partner with banqueting houses and hotels to collect surplus food from weddings and events; and the Trimmings Program, where they collect raw trimmings and scraps from hotel kitchens for redistribution.
Food Angel
Bo Charity Foundation established Food Angel in 2011, a food rescue and food assistance program. Food Angel rescues still good and safe to eat surplus food from sectors of the food industry and uses these rescued food items to prepare nutritious hot meals in their central kitchen. These meals are then redistributed to underserved communities around Hong Kong. In a week, Food Angel rescues around 35 tonnes of surplus food and prepares 10,000 meals and 2,000 food packs every single day.
Breadline of HK Food Works
Breadline is a mobile application created by HKFoodWorks. From its name, the application allows volunteers to connect with different bakeries to collect surplus bread and pastries for redistribution. Through Breadline, volunteers are able to claim available runs through the app anytime and anywhere, whereas bakeries can use the app to share their availability in real time so volunteers know where there is pick-up. Breadline has collected over 33,000 loaves of bread from April 2020 to March 2021.
