Environmental management of food waste in Hong Kong

By Marco Mak

24 Apr 2014

ABSTRACT

About 3,600 tons of food waste enters the landfills untreated in Hong Kong everyday. Hong Kong, as an international metropolis, is lagging behind from developed Asian cities in food waste management since the Hong Kong government has not been taking a leading role in solving this problem. In this essay, the current food waste management approaches like legislation, government-led policies, market-based mechanism, public-private cooperation and voluntary initiative, are examined and evaluated. Recommendations on improving the current food waste management are given in the latter part. Recommendations mainly include EMS, market-based incentives, better planning, legislation and education.

1. Introduction

Hong Kong, as an international metropolis, has a rich and diverse culinary culture. It has the highest seafood consumption in the world and is considered as a “gourmet paradise”. Nevertheless, this title not only brought pride and tourists to Hong Kong, but also a serious food waste problem.

According to Hong Kong Environmental Bureau (ENB) (2014), “food waste is any waste, whether raw, cooked, edible and associated with inedible parts generated during food production, distribution, storage, meal preparation or consumptionof meals.” Food waste, along with yard waste, is a component of putrescible waste.

In 2012, Hong Kong produced 9,278 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) everyday, which 41.7% was putrescible waste In 2011, 31.9% MSW was domestic putrescible whilst 12.5% was commercial and industrial (C&I) putrescible. 3,584 tons were food waste among all MSW (ENB 2014). Figure 1 shows the average daily disposal quantity of food waste in Hong Kong from 2003 to 2012. It reveals that food waste has been a significant component in Hong Kong’s MSW.

Figure 1: Average daily disposal quantity of food waste in Hong Kong (2003-2012)

(Source: ENB, Hong Kong)

Comparing to other Asian cities that are “more developed” like Hong Kong, Hong Kong has the highest rate of daily food waste disposal. For example, Seoul, with a population of 10.5 million, produces 767,000 tons of domestic food waste a year; while Hong Kong, with a population of 7 million, produces 920,000 tons a year (ENB 2014). Hong Kong has a smaller population than Seoul but produces more food waste than Seoul. From the simple statistics above, it is notable that Hong Kong is lagging behind in food waste management with her competitors in Asia. Figure 2 also illustrates Hong Kong has a higher per capita disposal of domestic food waste.

Figure 2: Food waste of Hong Kong and other cities from domestic sources (per year)

(Source: ENB, Hong Kong)

As food waste is becoming a serious problem and affecting Hong Kong’s sustainability, I would like to study how to improve the environmental management of food waste in Hong Kong. In this essay, the current environment management of food waste in Hong Kong will be evaluated and recommendations of better management will be given.

2. Evaluation of current management in Hong Kong

2.1 Legal requirements and guiding strategy

To effectively manage food waste, guidelines and a strategy is needed. In the European Union (EU), EU Waste Frame Directive was passed to serve as a legal requirement and provide guidelines of sustainable waste management for EU countries. In the Government Review of Waste Policy in England 2011 (defra 2011), it stated that the UK government follows the Waste Hierarchy, which is from the revised EU Waste Frame Directive and is enshrined in UK’s law through the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011. Figure 3 is the Waste Hierarchy that the UK government adopts.

Other than the Waste Hierarchy, the UK government also regulates dumping of food waste to landfills as it regards food waste as valuable resources that can be converted into renewable energy and as bio-fertilizers for the nutrient of soil (defra 2011). For instance, UK implemented Animal By-Products Regulation to ban raw meat to enter landfills in 2006 (Chan 2011).

Figure 3: EU’s Waste Hierarchy

(Source: defra, UK)

In Hong Kong, there is a Waste Disposal Ordinance. It serves as a regulatory tool to prohibit the dumping of waste in public and government land, or in private premise without the consent of the owner. But it doesn’t provide a guiding strategy for food waste management, like the Waste Hierarchy in EU. To make up for this limitation, the ENB also made up a “Food Waste Management Hierarchy” to serve as a guiding strategy for food waste management in A Food Waste & Yard Waste Plan For Hong Kong 2014-2022 (ENB 2014). Figure 4 is the Food Waste Management Hierarchy.

Figure 4: Food Waste Management Hierarchy

(Source: ENB, Hong Kong)

Effectiveness:

Hong Kong’s Waste Disposal Ordinance, as a legal requirement, can provide basic guidelines on food waste management for business and public. Food Waste Management Hierarchy, as a guiding strategy, can help the policymakers to prioritize their policies.

Limitations:

In fact, Hong Kong’s legislations on food waste and even MSW are limited, compared to other countries like the UK. Hong Kong’s Waste Disposal Ordinance is only sufficient on the sanitary level, but its legal requirement is insufficient to improve Hong Kong’s sustainability on food waste management. Hong Kong’s Food Waste Management Hierarchy is not legal binding while UK’s Waste Hierarchy is incorporated into their law.

2.2 Government-led policies

With KS Wong, the new Secretary of the Environment, in office since 2012, the ENB has taken a more active role in food waste management. In February 2014, ENB issued A Food Waste & Yard Waste Plan For Hong Kong 2014-2022 to outline the food waste reduction plan of Hong Kong in eight years. It includes different plans like construction of Organic Waste Treatment Facilities (OWTF) and initiation of Food Wise Campaign (ENB 2014).

2.2.1 Network of Organic Waste Treatment Facilities (OWTF)

In mid-2008, the Environmental Protection Department started the Pilot Composing Plant in Kowloon Bay Waste Recycling Center. It was used to gather information on collection of source separated food waste and the application of biotechnology in food waste recycling (EPD 2013). Later in 2009, the pilot plan incorporated with Food Waste Recycling Partnership Scheme, a cooperation between government and the business sector (EPD 2014), which will be further discuss in the part 2.3.

From the food waste plan, the ENB planned to build 5 to 6 OWTF by 2024 with a total capacity of handling 1,300 - 1,500 tons of food waste per day. The first OWTF, located in Siu Ho Wan, is now being constructed and will be in service in 2016. It is a government-funded Design-Build-Operate project (ENB 2014).

Effectiveness:

By building 6 OWTF, the food waste can be recycled and the energy stored in food waste will not be wasted in the landfills. This helps Hong Kong to catch up with other Asian cities in food waste recycling.

Having a government-led model, the government can centralized and utilized the resources better in developing the Network. By making it a public service, the government can tackle the food waste problem more effectively than encouraging the private sector to set up scattered, disorganized facilities. As food waste create nuisance if they are not treated quickly, the stability of food waste recycling service is important. A government-managed Network is more likely to have a smooth and reliable operation of food waste recycling than letting the free market to provide the service by unpredictable market mechanism.

Limitation:

As the OWTFs are obnoxious facilities, citizens with NIMBY mentality would oppose to build the OWTFs near their communities. This creates hurdles of setting up the Network. Also, EIA has to be passed prior to construction. Thus, trouble in site selection may result in delay of project completion.

Nevertheless, public participation in the project is a problem in this plan. As this is a government-led project, the government can control the transparency of the information concerning the plan and limit public input. This may hurt social interest if the public is not informed and not engaged. Thus, the government needs to strike a balance in allowing public participation to ensure the plan can be completed on time and public interest is served.

Other than the above limitations, Green Power (2013) criticized that the completed Network can only handle 20% of Hong Kong food waste, which Seoul is now handling 90% of their food waste. This shows that Hong Kong will still be lagging behind the Asian cities.

2.2.2 Public education

In mid-2013, the government launched “Food Wise Hong Kong”, a public education and social mobilization campaign to reduce food waste. Advertisements on TV were produced; posters advocating food waste reduction were all over Hong Kong; a mascot was even created to spread the message. The campaign also reached out the business sector with seminars on food waste reduction tips. The campaign targets for 5-10% reduction of food waste in 2017/8 (ENB 2014).

Effectiveness:

The campaign has reached the public successfully as the government had sufficient resources for the campaign. A government-led campaign also has a more authoritative image to the people in public education than other campaigns led by NGOs.

This kind of public education can achieve the goal of reduction in food waste in the highest hierarchy of the Food Waste Management Hierarchy. Past experience of Britain shows that intense pubic education on food waste reduction can result in a national average food waste reduction rate of 2% (ENB 2014). This proves government-led social education can be useful.

Limitations:

If the government is not popular, the public reception of the campaign may be affected and lowers the effectiveness of the campaign. Also, if the government-led campaign is not creative enough, it will fail to grab the public attention from many social discourses.

Besides, the target of 5-10% reduction in food waste is challenging to attain as Britain, a country with higher environmental awareness, could only achieve 2% reduction with public education. Thus, I am pessimistic towards meeting the target.

2.3 Market-based mechanism

According to A Food Waste & Yard Waste Plan For Hong Kong 2014-2022, the government intended to implement a quantity-based charge on MSW. It estimates the charge can reduce food waste by 10-15%, learning from Taipei’s experience (ENB 2014). Based on the polluter-pays principle, the polluter has to pay for the amount of MSW he produced. For example, polluters have to pay HK$ 0.4 per kg of MSW in Seoul, while it is HK$ 0.45 per kg in Taipei (Chan 2011).

Effectiveness:

The charge can definitely reduce the food waste, even though it is targeted at MSW. Still, the charge will discourage wasting food as domestic and C&I polluters would not want to pay a lot for the food waste or MSW. Economically, a charge can lower the negative externality of food waste to the economy and society.

Limitations:

As it may be difficult to make sure everyone to follow the MSW collection rules during the beginning of the implementation of the charge, the transaction cost (policing and enforcement cost) may be high. Also, the transaction cost of search and information costs of finding the appropriate price level for the MSW charge may be high. These factors make the implementation of the charge costly.

2.4 Public-private sectors cooperation

As mentioned above, the government started “Food Waste Recycling Partnership Scheme” with various companies. In 2013/14, there are about 40 companies joined the scheme. Under the scheme, the companies have to perform source separation of food waste and the food waste will be sent to Kowloon Bay Pilot Composting Plant for pilot study. The scheme also provides platforms like seminars and talks for the participants to share their knowledge and experience to other companies (EPD 2014).

Effectiveness:

This scheme can initiate the momentum of food waste recycling in the private sector and serves as practices to prepare for the future use of OWTFs. It raises the awareness of C&I sector for food waste recycling and reduction.

Limitations:

The scheme may only be a “green-washing” opportunity for the companies to create their ecofriendly image for publicity.

2.5 Voluntary initiative

Voluntary initiative is environmental management that is not led by the government. In Hong Kong, NGOs and many individuals worked hard for solving food waste problem.

2.5.1 NGOs

Green Power (2014) started an initiative called “Zero Food Waste@Campus”. It comprises of setting up food composers in schools, producing fertilizer for school greening and educating student about food waste reduction.

Besides, Friends of the Earth (2014) launched “Order Less Waste Less” Light Banquets Campaign. It encourages restaurant to reduce 2 courses for banquets and also taking away the leftovers.

Also, Food Grace started a program called "Food Recycling Scheme”. Volunteers pick up surplus vegetables from wet market and turn them into meals for the elderly and unemployed in the community.

Effectiveness:

NGOs can mobilize the society for their cause with creative ways. Their work helps reducing food waste and even educates the public about the food waste. NGOs’ campaigns can suit the society better as they communicate closely with the communities.

Limitations:

However, the NGOs may face the difficulty of the lack of resources to carry out their campaigns. Also, there are many NGOs working on food waste reduction but they may lack coordination among them. Their forces may be difficult to be united.

2.5.2 Individuals

As for individuals, according to Chan’s Food Waste (2011), there are many inspiring persons that reduce and recycle the food waste in their daily life.

A notable example is Mok, a freegan in Hong Kong. A freegan practices freeganism. They collect food that are thrown away by supermarkets and eat from the leftovers by other customers in restaurants. In an article, Mok picked up leftover French fries from a fast food restaurant as his dinner. Also, many other people make jam to preserve surplus fruits and make soap from chicken grease from market. These can recycle food and reduce food waste.

Effectiveness:

If everyone acts at individual level, the food waste problem can be solved in no time. The power of individual collective action is huge in environmental management. Also, many of the individuals are inspiring and thought-provoking. They can help to spread the message in the society.

Limitations:

If individuals in the society lack the sense of environmental citizenship, “tragedy of the commons” would likely to happen. People would just keep producing food waste as they don’t think they have responsibilities in food waste reduction.

3. Recommendations

The following environmental management tools and advices are recommended to the government to improve the current food waste management.

3.1 Environmental management systems (EMS)

Environmental management systems (EMS) can be a useful tool for companies to reduce food waste (Arvanitoyannis 2008). In Hong Kong, there were only 385 companies certified for ISO 14001 in 2008, which was little compared to other countries. The government can encourage businesses like catering, food processing etc. to be certified for ISO 14001. They can plan for reducing food waste in the EMS. Later, in the stage of implementation, measurement and evaluation, the company can monitor its food waste and improve its production to reduce food waste. If EMS is widely adopted, C&I food waste should decrease a lot.

3.2 Market-based incentive

To promote adopting EMS, the government can provide tax rebate for companies that are: certified with ISO 14001 and with objectives of reducing food waste in their EMS. This can provide enough economic incentives for the companies to adopt EMS to reduce food waste.

Also, the planning department can adopt the tool of “incentive planning”. The planning department can allow a housing development to increase the plot ratio if the developer promises to install a compost machine in the planned housing development. This can help increase the food waste recycle rate in Hong Kong.

4.3 More comprehensive and interdepartmental policymaking

The government policies can focus more on the second Food Waste Management Hierarchy, which is donating food for human consumption. Apart from expanding the food bank network, as suggested by Ng (2013), I think the government can follow pass new legislation like the US. In 1996, President Clinton signed “The Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act” to promote food donation by protecting good faith food donor from civil and criminal liability. The government can research on passing similar laws to promote food donation.

As food waste is a complicated and interdisciplinary issue, the government should formulate interdepartmental policies to tackle the problem. The ENB can work with Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) on using the fertilizer made from food waste in local farms to develop local agriculture. Also, the government can research on the feasibility of turning grease into biodiesel for vehicles. Not only does it help recycling food waste, but also it provides sustainable fuel for vehicles.

3.4 Legislation

As soon as the OWTFs are built, the government can draft and pass more laws concerning the food waste management in Hong Kong, like setting fines for not complying with source separation of food waste. This can provide better guidelines in food waste management. Also, as mentioned above in part 3.3, laws can be passed to protect food donor.

3.5 Education

Since education is a panacea to most environmental problems, the government can put even more resources and effort in the Food Wise Campaign for public education. It can collaborate with NGOs to provide technical support and guidelines for the C&I sector (Ng 2013).

4. Conclusion

As thousand of tons of food waste enter the landfill everyday, earth resources is wasted and depleting. Hong Kong, as an international metropolis, holds a responsibility to become more sustainable. The ENB’s A Food Waste & Yard Waste Plan For Hong Kong 2014-2022 is a good start and shows the government’s sincerity in tackling the problem. More comprehensive and innovative planning is needed. The government needs to act boldly to close the gap of food waste and MSW management with other developed Asian cities. Apart from the leadership of the government, promotion and education by NGOs and support from Hong Kong citizens are essential in environmental management in food waste.

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