Environment and Conservation Fund Funded Food Commons@Shatin - 2023-2024 Recycling Achievements 

In the past year, from August 2023 to July 2024, Food Commons@Shatin recovered a total of 164,400.98 kg of food in the Shatin, Tai Wai, Ma On Shan, and Fo Tan areas. Among them, 163,869.98 kg (99.68%) were distributed, benefiting 308,712 people. 

Our collectors and volunteers work daily in markets and shops, striving to recover excess but still edible food, mainly including vegetables, fruits, packaged foods, soy products, soy products, bread, drinks, milk, etc., including occasional large batches of material donations. All the food is shared with people in need in the community, including the elderly, low-income people, social security recipients, single-parent families, cleaning workers, and the homeless. Food Commons@Shatin's recovery and sharing work not only effectively reduces the burden on landfills but also alleviates the economic pressure on vulnerable groups. 

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, many of you will likely start receiving boxes of mooncakes. If you receive more mooncakes or other festive gifts than you can eat before they expire and don't want to waste food, why not donate them to those in need to share the festive joy before they expire?

Mooncakes must be unopened. Individually wrapped mooncakes are also acceptable. Ideally, they should have a "best before" date of 5-7 days remaining.

SCMP 5 Sep 2024

As the chief executive prepares to deliver this year's policy address, Food Commons Foundation would like to emphasise the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to food waste reduction in Hong Kong. Given that public concern over environmental issues is growing, we advocate sharing as a key strategy for reducing food waste. This approach would not only minimise waste but also address social challenges, such as poverty and community cohesion.

To reward volunteers who frequently participated in food sharing activities in the first half of 2024, we have designed a card holder and a badge this time. We hope the volunteers will like this special gift and will continue to support our actions in the future. 

Volunteers who participate in food sharing activities for 8 times or more every half year (January-June/July-December) can now receive an electronic volunteer certificate of appreciation or an electronic volunteer hour certificate. Those who participate more often will have the opportunity to receive other special edition souvenirs. 

We are still recruiting volunteers, and we look forward to your joining! 

The new Policy Address will be released in October. The Food Commons Foundation suggests that the government expand the coverage of food recovery, strengthen cooperation with non-profit organizations, ensure that surplus food can be delivered to those in need in a timely manner, and reduce food waste. Additionally, the Foundation proposes installing smart food waste recycling bins in public housing estates and private residential areas, as well as establishing a corporate food-saving incentive program to recognize companies that reduce food waste.

From June 18 to July 15, the Food Commons Foundation, along with community organizations, surveyed 307 citizens who benefited from surplus food sharing. Nearly 80% of respondents were 60 years old or above, reflecting the urgent need for food sharing programs among the elderly. 67% of respondents received surplus food 1-2 times per week, while 21% received it 5 days a week, indicating a stable demand for food sharing in society.

As Hong Kong society's concern for environmental issues continues to grow, the Food Commons Foundation has noticed increasingly heated public discussions on waste management policies. Against this background, we would like to put forward some suggestions for the 2024 Policy Address, particularly on how to more effectively address the issue of food waste.

We believe that adopting a multi-pronged strategy is crucial when tackling the challenge of food waste. Within this strategy, we suggest making food waste reduction through sharing a key focus. Food waste reduction through sharing not only directly reduces food waste but also addresses social issues simultaneously, achieving multiple benefits. Specifically, the advantages of food waste reduction through sharing include: