Sustainability is Everyone's Job
- GREEN Hospitality
- 18 hours ago
- 3 min read
Sustainability is Everyone's Job
As the sustainability movement in the hospitality industry in Hong Kong continues to grow, GREEN Hospitality has recently launched a campaign to celebrate the unique individuals who are tirelessly championing sustainability initiatives behind the scenes. In showcasing these ‘Sustainability Champions’ from across various hospitality teams, we hope to facilitate connection and mutual learning within the vibrant community of sustainability advocates in the hospitality industry, and importantly, hammer home this very fact: sustainability is everyone's job, regardless of the role one holds in a company or organisation.
This month, we spoke with Graham Long, Executive Chef of EAST Hong Kong. Located in Taikoo Shing, the 345-room hotel weaves sustainability into various areas of operations, especially within food and beverage at Feast, Domain, Sugar and Mr & Mrs Fox.
What does championing sustainability mean to you and why is it important?
I believe it is important to champion sustainability because we have the privilege as chefs, and in the hospitality industry as a whole, to enjoy what nature provides and to deliver to our customers. For the first time in history, the ability to do that is at real threat. If we do not look after and manage our resources, the future generations will suffer.
What are some of the sustainability initiatives you have led?
At the hotel we have a lot of initiatives set up to try and combat food waste. We save all of our excess bread and have partnered with a local brewery to turn it into our very own Bao Beer. All of our oyster shells from the buffet get saved and sent to help rebuild marine ecosystems in Hong Kong.
Which is your favourite sustainability initiative and why?
I think the Bao Beer is a great example of how, with the right commitment, you can turn a waste product into something great for people to enjoy. This demonstrates the circular nature of the food system that has been forgotten somewhat in the modern age.
What are some of the sustainability projects currently happening in your workplace?
We are installing smart meters in the hotel to better monitor our energy usage, and we have recently installed solar panels on our roof to help us be more self-sufficient.
How do you think the culture towards waste and food in Hong Kong contributes to the problem of food waste?
Hong Kong is a very on-demand city, with a big takeaway and delivery culture due to the lifestyle, but also people’s living space is often such that they do not have much kitchen space! That can lead to there being quite a lot of wastage.
What are the main drivers that would motivate you to cut down on your food waste?
Firstly, the obvious driver is financial. If you waste less, you buy less. And secondly, waste disposal costs money; the less we send out of the building, the less it costs us. That’s why we try to reuse as much as possible, and we have in-house food digesters to safely and cleanly dispose of food waste.
What are the most effective strategies to reduce food waste in your business (if any)? How do they translate in food waste reduction or by cost decreased before and after?
We have worked hard on our buffet concept to make more dishes on demand and as small individual dishes rather than big trays of food. This has helped us cut down on waste by around 15%. Also, we have revolutionised our stock management and ordering systems to make sure we are not ordering too much of anything, and diverting off-cuts and secondary items to other departments in the team.
What is your top advice for a chef or a restaurant looking to implement sustainability?
I think it is best to think of it as an investment. Some of the set-up and infrastructure may cost you in the short term but will save you money in the long run, and it seems that it will only become more apparent.
It is also about investing in the future viability of the industry. We provide a service that, if the current trend continues, will be more difficult and more costly to provide for future generations – some of the produce and marine species, in particular, might not be there for future chefs to cook if we don’t do our part now.
