Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
Hong Kong has a problem: 3,600 tonnes of food are discarded every day in the city, which is equal to about 13 million bowls of rice. As much as 40 per cent of the city’s landfill space is filled with food. Tackling food waste is a challenge that Chomp Hong Kong intends to confront.
Chomp was founded by Carla Martinesi. The award-winning app helps restaurants reduce their unsold food surplus by listing it online at a discount.
When it comes to food waste, “Hong Kong is faced with a crisis which is out of sight, out of mind. If things are not in your full view, you have no idea where these things are going,” Martinesi said.
The issue of food waste might seem too big and intimidating for young people to face, but Martinesi said that fighting the problem requires everyone in Hong Kong to work together – and kids play a major role in this battle.
“The world’s current worst problems will be solved by kids in the future, the ones who are questioning why things are done a certain way,” she said.
Martinesi and the team at Chomp offered up a few ways that young readers can do their part in the fight against food waste.
Eat local
Aim to eat locally sourced products at least once per week. For example, instead of eating produce that was imported all the way from Europe, ask your parents to try to find fruits and vegetables that were grown in Hong Kong or mainland China.
Food that was grown locally generally has a lower carbon footprint because it did not need to be transported as far.
“Hong Kong has great yellow chicken; you could eat that instead of French hens, for example,” Martinesi said. “There are a lot of really great farms in Hong Kong … that is a way to not only support local but also to eat better.”
How to use leftovers
Ingredients can go a long way. If you help your parents with the cooking, ask questions about what else the ingredients can be used for. Leftover vegetables from one dinner can be used to make soup the next day, while extra cheese can be turned into a sauce.
Shopping tips
By planning your meals in advance, you can significantly reduce the amount of waste you create.
Always go grocery shopping with a list, Martinesi said, “otherwise, eventually you come home and realise that all the stuff you bought doesn’t go together. So, going there intentionally with a list helps you cut down on waste.”
