From December 2023 to November 2024, the Food Commons Foundation, in collaboration with local partners, recovered 440,146.72 kilograms of food and successfully shared 433,613.33 kilograms, achieving a distribution rate of 98.52%, benefiting 533,226 individuals. Since June 2009, the food recovery and sharing project has cumulatively recovered 11,275,709.06 kilograms of food, with a total distribution of 10,741,701.74 kilograms, reaching 9,905,540 beneficiaries.

Significance of Food Recovery and Sharing

The core mission of the Food Commons Foundation is to promote cherishing food and reducing waste. These activities not only decrease food waste but also effectively alleviate societal pressure on food demand. In Hong Kong, approximately 3,000 tons of food waste are discarded daily, much of which is still edible but ends up in landfills. Market vendors report that due to the impact of mainland tourism on business, some have had to close for a day each week—an unprecedented situation before the pandemic. Additionally, some shops have reduced donations due to promotional activities. Despite a decline in the recovery of fresh food amid economic downturns, donations of nearing-expiry packaged foods continue.

Education and Community Engagement

While focusing on food recovery and sharing, the Food Commons Foundation actively engages in community education. Through market experience activities, food waste reduction talks, and volunteer recruitment, the foundation aims to cultivate environmentally conscious advocates. In the first half of 2024, 43 volunteers received certificates of appreciation for their continuous support in food-saving initiatives. Volunteers of the Food Commons Foundation are dedicated to saving bread lunch boxes and helping others on a daily basis. In April this year, they also visited O.Park 1, Hong Kong's first large-scale organic resource recycling center, as visitors.

Food Commons Community Activities

The community activities aimed at educating about food waste and engaging volunteers seek to raise public awareness about this issue and encourage community participation:

1. School Food Waste Lectures: Sharing insights on the current state of food waste and its impacts with students while emphasizing the importance of reducing kitchen waste.

2. Market Food Recovery Experiences: Allowing participants to personally experience food recovery work at markets to help lighten the workload of food recovery staff.

3. Community Volunteer Activities: Encouraging individuals or groups to participate in volunteer work to reduce waste and assist those in need.

Future Outlook

Looking ahead, the Food Commons Foundation will celebrate its tenth anniversary in June 2025. The foundation plans to expand its impact by recommending that the government enhance the coverage of food recovery networks and establish corporate food-saving incentive programs to encourage more businesses to participate in waste reduction efforts. These measures aim not only to raise societal awareness regarding food waste issues but also to promote mutual cooperation among communities. While the Food Commons Foundation has saved significant amounts of food and assisted those in need over the past year, challenges remain. Through continued effort and support from various sectors of society, we hope to more effectively address Hong Kong's food waste issues and provide greater assistance to those who need it. 

In the past year, the Food Commons Foundation has collaborated with local partners and volunteer teams through various projects such as "Food Commons@New Territories," "Environmental and Nature Conservation Fund-sponsored Food Sharing Sha Tin," "Food Commons" and "Food Commons Community." The "Food Commons@New Territories" project served areas including Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Fanling, Sheung Shui, Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung, and Tsing Yi; it concluded in May this year due to funding chain disruptions preventing continued operations for some areas. 

A monthly donation of HK$300 can help provide basic groceries for one beneficiary each month. Please support our food rescue efforts! Donations (excluding projects funded by the Environmental and Nature Conservation Fund) can be made through our website: https://foodcommons.hk/tc/donations. Donations of HK$100 or more are eligible for tax deductions. For receipts or any inquiries regarding alternative forms of donations, please contact us at 2336 0678 or via WhatsApp at 5400 2320. We also accept material donations. Our environment and beneficiaries thank you for your support!