Among all, the circular economy is an uprising trend across the globe, not only is it a regenerative approach to production and consumption that encourages creative solutions from industries, but many also suggest that it would create economic value. Supported by The Hongkong Bank Foundation, the Partnership for Sustainability Leadership in Business (PSLB) project under the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG) at The University of Hong Kong organised the 4th Knowledge Primer (KP) on November 17, with the theme 'Collaboration for Driving Circular Economy in the Food & Beverage Industry' to delve into the potential of circular economy in the F&B industry, which is named one of the most wasteful industries in Hong Kong with respect to the amount of food waste produced and single-use plastic food and drink containers handed out by local F&B businesses every day. The event gathered more than 120 industry leaders to explore the implementation status quo and shed light on the hurdles encountered by different stakeholders. Instead of working in silos, this KP underscored the importance of the collective effort to drive systemic change and align with the Government's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Thematic speeches on sustainable development facilitate cross-sectoral discussions and expound on academic research and business cases As keynote speakers, Dr. Winnie Law, Deputy Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance, and Ms. Nadine Maurellet, General Manager of Business Diversification and Group General Counsel for The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, delivered speeches on "Circularity for Sustainability and Business Resilience" and "Leveraging on Strengths and Creating Shared Value with Our Partners: Learnings from The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited" respectively. Dr. Winnie Law believed that resource circularity was not confined to waste management. The purpose of the circular economy was envisioned to decouple economic development from the consumption of finite resources. By transforming the current "take-make-use-dispose" model into a regenerative system, waste could be reintroduced into the production process and converted into resources, which is conducive to the restoration and prosperity of nature. In addition, incorporating circularity into business strategies could unleash economic potentials , such as facilitating the development of eco-products, and forging innovative and diverse workforces, etc. – all of which can pave the way to create resource-efficient, inclusive, and climate-resilient economic models. Proactiveness and collaborative efforts are the driving force for creating internal systemic change Despite the unprecedented challenges in the past years for the hospitality industry, Ms. Nadine Maurellet, General Manager of Business Diversification and Group General Counsel for The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, shed light on how the global enterprise puts their Sustainable Luxury Vision 2030 in place, by sharing two case studies on upcycling their food waste with the Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Save Our Shells project and Textile Upcycling initiative run within their operation. Through the projects, they were able to reduce environmental impact while creating social value. Three keys to success were highlighted. Sustainability issues are interconnected, it is important to start with one key issue to address and then continue to improve the...

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