Foodpanda hopes to launch reusable container programme in Hong Kong to reduce waste sent to landfills
- The company will aim to launch pilot in preparation for the kick-off of Hong Kong’s solid waste charging scheme
- The government has at least 18 months to implement the system after bill requiring residents and operators of street-level shops to pay for trash collection was passed in August
Online food delivery platform Foodpanda hopes to launch a reusable container programme in Hong Kong early next year to reduce the amount of packaging being sent to landfills by consumers.
“One thing that we really want to focus on going forward is coming up with a reusable pilot [programme], so that our customers can receive their food in a takeaway box that is reusable, and one that they just need to return to a collection point – essentially a closed loop – so they won’t be stuck with a lot of plastic waste,” Woody Chan, corporate social responsibility and sustainability manager at Foodpanda, said on the sidelines of the ReThink HK conference last week. “Hopefully, we can launch that early next year.”
Under the scheme managed by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), residents and operators of street-level shops that use government refuse collection services must buy rubbish bags produced and sold by the government. This range from 30 Hong Kong cents for a 3 litre bag to HK$73 for a 660 litre bag.
Foodpanda hopes to work with restaurant partners and logistics companies for its reusable packaging programme, Chan said.
