Food waste is a byproduct of affluence in many cities around the world. 

As a prosperous metropolis, Hong Kong also struggles with the problem of how to handle the 3,600 tons of unconsumed food that it produces every day on average. This huge amount of food being thrown away is not only wasteful but is also unsustainable. 

To its credit, the Hong Kong Government has confronted the problem by drawing up a multi-pronged approach to deal with waste including food. Among its efforts is the establishment of a waste-to-energy facility, O · PARK1, which launched in 2018. At O · PARK1, food waste is put to good use by being converted to electricity-generating biogas. In addition, residual waste is turned into compost for landscaping and agriculture use. The facility can handle 200 tons of food waste per day – about 5% of the total – which is then used to generate electricity for 3,000 households. 

On a Chamber tour of
O · PARK1 on 22 October, TK Cheng, Principal Environmental Protection Officer (Strategic Facilities), walked members through the operations of Hong Kong’s first organic resource recovery centre. As one of the largest facilities of its kind in Asia, O · PARK1 also symbolises Hong Kong’s determination and creativity in tackling food waste.