Techies take on South-east Asia’s food waste problem

Startups fighting the icky problem of food waste have flown under the radar. But they may get a boost from growing ESG efforts and upcoming regulation.

Sharanya Pillai

Published Fri, Jul 29, 2022 · 02:03 PM

Startups

ALL-DAY buffets and dining out are back with a vengeance – but so is an insidious problem: food waste. Last year, Singapore generated 817,000 tonnes of food waste, up 23 per cent from the prior year amid increased post-pandemic economic activity. Only 19 per cent of the waste was recycled.

Across South-east Asia, the numbers are more staggering. Indonesia threw away 23-48 million tonnes of food waste annually from 2000 to 2019, local reports say. In Bangkok, uneaten food makes up almost half of the 10,000 tonnes of solid waste collected in the city daily, said a 2021 report by the United Nations Environment Programme.