Foodpanda Partners with WWF-Hong Kong

WWF-Hong Kong and Foodpanda announce their newest partnership, introducing the city’s first closed-loop reusable packing pilot programme “ECF: Choose to Reuse” to tackle increased single-use plastic consumption.

Food takeaway has surged significantly over the course of the pandemic in Hong Kong, which has further fuelled the increasing problem of single-use plastic consumption and waste disposal into the city’s overflowing landfills. In light of the recent plastic waste crisis, WWF-Hong Kong and Foodpanda have announced the launch of their newest initiative to curb single-use plastic consumption through their closed-loop reusable packaging pilot programme “ECF: Choose to Reuse.”

The initiative is backed by the government’s Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF), and targets various delivery platforms in Hong Kong. In its initial stage, a total of 8,000 reusable food containers will be delivered to various participating restaurant partners through this programme by Foodpanda Hong Kong, driving the adopting of reusables and normalising a greener way of consumption.

This will allow customers to select reusable and more sustainable packaging alternatives, rather than opting for conventional plastic or styrofoam containers. After use, instead of disposing the containers, customers can return them to designated collection points across the city.

The initiative hopes to encourage sustainable consumption amongst locals and reduce waste by targeting the source directly.

Celebrating the launch of the initiative with a kick-off ceremony, the WWF-Hong Kong and Foodpanda team inaugurated and demonstrated the collection process to the public.

The Assistant Director of the Environmental Protection Department (Waste Reduction & Recycling), Fong Kin Wa, stated, “To reduce the use of disposable plastic tableware at source with a view to minimising the impacts of plastic pollution on the marine environment and human health, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) conducted earlier on a two-month public consultation on Regulation of Disposable Plastic Tableware.”

Fong added that in order to speed up the pace of reducing plastic waste, the “EPD is now preparing the relevant Amendments Bill to implement the first phase of control earlier. Our plan is to introduce the bill to the Legislative Council for scrutiny by the end of this year or early next year.”

The reusable containers come in two different shapes and sizes, 1,380ml and 650ml, offering more flexibility and diversity for the usage of the 40 partnering restaurants, which includes local fast food chain Fairwood, Seoul Bros, Wingman, SoupDay, KALE, Planet Foody, TREEHOUSE, and more.

“We hope this pilot programme with Foodpanda will showcase how collaboration can make an impact and bring long-term change to the catering and food delivery industries. After all, our daily habits impact our habitats – let’s move away from a throwaway culture and instead develop habits that protect habitats,” added Nicole Wong, the CEO of WWF-Hong Kong.