Hong Kong, October 4, 2021 – foodpanda Hong Kong today officially launches the “Sustainable Restaurant Certification Scheme”- a first of its kind amongst delivery platforms in Hong Kong. The scheme is welcomed by WWF-Hong Kong. Restaurants who pass assessment of the scheme would receive different levels of certification, encouraging local restaurant partners to become more sustainable in their operations while giving customers better accessibilities to sustainable options.

The set of stringent assessment criteria of the scheme was designed by Delivery Hero SE, and was reviewed and supported by WWF-Hong Kong to ensure it meets Hong Kong market standard and relevant sustainable requirements. Restaurants which enter the scheme undergo rigorous assessment on their sourcing, food preparation, packaging, waste reduction and other practices. Those who pass the assessment receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold certification and are promoted on foodpanda’s app via a Sustainable Restaurant Carousel as well as through various marketing channels without a charge.

On top of rewarding certified restaurants with marketing exposure, foodpanda Hong Kong is also dedicated to helping restaurants improve their sustainability efforts, from offering sustainable packaging at a subsidised cost to embedding a less rice menu option for restaurants on foodpanda menus.

 

“Sustainability is always a priority for foodpanda Hong Kong, taking topics such as environmental friendliness and waste reduction at the centre of our operations. As a leading local food delivery platform, we are hoping to bring changes to the food delivery and catering industry to gradually adopt a more sustainable operational model with the launching of this scheme. At the same time, we hope to highlight those greener restaurants to eco-conscious customers, offering options beyond just delicious foods. We are delighted to have the support from WWF-Hong Kong and many other partners in launching the scheme, working together to better serve the community and the environment,” said Ryan Lai, Managing Director of foodpanda Hong Kong. 

 

“We are happy to see foodpanda’s effort promoting sustainable restaurants. At present, food waste and plastic constitute more than 50% of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Hong Kong every day while food waste is the largest contributor (30%) to MSW discarded at landfills. Food waste which ends up in landfills not only takes up space, but also releases methane — a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide. About 6%-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if we stop wasting food. The rise of food takeaways during the pandemic also leads to a staggering amount of disposable plastic waste being generated in the city. The food and beverage industry therefore plays an important role to address these problems by implementing sustainable practices throughout the businesses. Besides, Hong Kong ranks second in terms of per-capita seafood consumption in Asia, and is the world’s eighth-largest seafood consumer. Sustainable seafood choices F&B outlets make are crucial to restore depleted local fish stock as well as regionally and globally,” said Dr Laurence McCook, Director, Oceans Conservation, WWF-Hong Kong

 

The scheme has received support from various restaurants including “MANA!” and “Green Common”, both of whom have received a Silver certification. “Diet Change Not Climate Change, a slogan that we coined in 2008 to reflect our mission & drive to raise awareness about the No. 1 cause of global pollution, namely our diet of eating meat, fish & dairy, has today become a universal clarion call for younger generations. MANA! continues to inspire change & lead the way, and foodpanda’s sustainable certification demonstrates how far we have all come together,” told Bobsy Gaia, Founder, MANA!

 

“Green Common is dedicated to promoting sustainability through greener diets to alleviate threats to the planet. This certification from foodpanda is a milestone for us and for the society, as it symbolises the growing awareness of sustainability for individuals and food service practitioners alike. Join the green movement and “Make Change Happen, Make Green Common”!” said David Yeung, Founder & CEO, Green Monday

 

foodpanda Hong Kong has been working closely with WWF-Hong Kong in launching various sustainable measures, including the ban on selling shark related products and removing more than 500 shark-related items from the menus of 145 restaurant partners on its platform.

 

It also joined WWF-Hong Kong’s “Plastic ACTion” initiative early last year, pledging to phase out all single-use plastic tableware and implementing a default opt-out option for single-use plastic cutlery. As of June 1, over 50 million sets of cutlery were saved from being sent to landfill, marking a significant milestone towards plastic waste reduction.

 

For those interested in knowing more about the criteria please reach out to the foodpanda contacts below. More on foodpanda’s sustainability initiatives and strategy can be found on their website.

 

For more information, please contact: 

Yvette Yeung
[email protected]

 

Tenniel Tao
[email protected]