To reduce CO2 emissions, we introduced various energy-saving facilities at our manufacturing plants, such as LED lighting and lighting with motion sensors. At some of our manufacturing plants, we have installed solar panels to generate renewable energy, and biomass boilers and heat pump facilities to reuse heat energy. The Hong Kong Government introduced the Feed in Tariff (FiT) scheme whereby participating companies can install a Solar Photovoltaic System to generate solar energy. We highly supported the FiT scheme, which has become part of the Group’s climate change policy, and installed the Solar Photovoltaic System in our production plants. Renewable energy generated from the system is being supplied back to the electricity grid and helps to create a greener Hong Kong by reducing carbon emissions from fossil-based energy.

The primary wastes generated by us from the different production processes are soil waste and wastewater. We established the Good Practice Guidelines for employees to categorise wastes and ensure proper handling of any hazardous waste.

In Hong Kong, food waste is a major environmental challenge. According to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), most of Hong Kong’s food waste is disposed of as municipal solid waste in landfills. To tackle the food waste problem, reduction at source and recycling is essential. We implemented a raw materials inventory-sharing system among the brands. Wastage of raw materials can be avoided by transferring raw materials between operations when particular products are not produced and raw materials are not required.

We also joined the “Food Waste/Sewage Sludge Anaerobic Co-Digestion Trial Scheme” led by the Hong Kong government. The scheme creates opportunities and channels for manufacturers to reduce waste in landfills, lower landfill gas such as methane, and convert food waste from operations to compost and biogas. In addition to alleviating the food waste problem, we are recycling our noodle waste in our production process and converting them into animal feed. Recyclers have been commissioned for collection and conversion.

During the process of applying dry lamination, the wrapping process releases volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. These VOCs contribute to air pollution by forming ground-level ozone and fine particles.

Since 2022, we have transitioned from dry lamination to solvent-free lamination to reduce VOC emissions. In 2023, we have taken our efforts a step further by adopting water-based gravure ink for printing the white areas of the individual packaging for our bag-type instant noodle products. By adopting the water-based gravure ink, we are able to further reduce our VOC emissions.

At the moment, we are actively exploring opportunities to extend the use of water-based gravure ink to additional colours and a broader range of packaging types in order to further reduce our environmental impact. Our proactive approach to adopting environmentally friendly technologies underscores our responsibility towards reducing ecological impacts and our commitment to continuous improvement in environmental stewardship.

Although instant noodles, as compared to other foods such as meat, generally have a relatively low carbon footprint in terms of fossil energy and cropland used, we are making our greatest efforts to further lower our carbon footprint and packaging materials.