As a pioneer in sustainability in the food and beverage industry, Nestlé Hong Kong is dedicated to integrating environmentally friendly practices across its value chain. The company actively promotes recycling and waste reduction through public education to raise awareness in the community. Since 2020, Nestlé Hong Kong has partnered with the Hong Chi Association to launch the "Type 5 PP Plastic Recycling Campaign" (the Campaign). The Campaign was initiated with an aim to bridge gaps in the community recycling network at the time, while promoting environmental education and upcycling through a business-community partnership model, putting resource circularity into practice. The Campaign has achieved gradual progress and has collected a total of over 18,000 kg of Type 5 PP plastics, equivalent to more than 550,000 food packaging containers.
In its sixth year, the Campaign launched a digital version of the "Type 5 PP Eco-friendly DIY STEAM Education Kit" which is distributed on a complimentary basis to nearly 550 primary schools across Hong Kong.
Fruitful Results Over Six Years: Community Support and Participation Go Hand in Hand
The Campaign strives to expand the collection network for Type 5 PP plastic in the community. In this aspect, the Campaign has established approximately 80 collection points across Hong Kong—spanning residential estates, shopping malls, schools, and offices—as of June 2026. The project has gained momentum both in quantity and quality as demonstrated in the increase of net volume of PP plastics collected which currently accounted for over half of all materials received. The cleanliness of the recyclables has also improved. The trends have validated a significant rise in awareness and participation in Type 5 PP plastic recycling.
Sixth-Year Plan: Combining Education with Innovation
Strengthening student education and cultivating future green leaders - In its sixth year, the Campaign spearheaded a digital version of the "Type 5 PP Eco-friendly DIY STEAM Education Kit" and distributed it free of charge to nearly 550 primary schools across Hong Kong. The user-friendly kit helps teachers educate students about the importance of plastic recycling and reuse. By weaving the STEAM concepts into lessons on plastic upcycling, students are encouraged to turn everyday materials into eco-friendly toys with their creativity.
Moreover, over 150 STEAM material sets were distributed to four schools which are the active participants of the Campaign. Students will gain hands-on experience in assembling solar-powered model vehicles and windmills with the materials. The Campaign also organized seminars on clean recycling and waste reduction at the schools.
Promoting upcycled products - Riding on the Campaign’s achievements over the past six years, a range of practical products, including eco-friendly hangers, cooler bags, storage boxes and coasters, have been upcycled from recycled plastics. This year, the Campaign introduced handcrafted earrings and shoe accessories made from recycled Type 5 PP plastics, with the upcycled items available for sale in Hong Chi’s eShop and physical store for the first time.
Looking Ahead to the Seventh Year Collaboration: Integrating Sustainability with Art to Drive Community Inclusion
In July, Nestlé Hong Kong and Hong Chi Association forged ahead with the launch of the seventh year Campaign built on the cumulative success of the Campaign. Key highlights of the Campaign include: -
Integrating environmental protection with art for diverse eco-friendly initiatives - Under the seventh year campaign, the "Type 5 PP Plastic Recycling Campaign" will collaborate with local artists and social enterprises, inviting them to transform recycled plastics into installation art and creative products. To further enhance the diversity of upcycled artworks, the Campaign will also begin including Type 1 PET and Type 2 HDPE plastics, providing them with greater flexibility to design larger scale art installations. In addition, a "Mobile Nestlé Eco-Education Hub" will be launched to enhance public engagement and environmental awareness through workshops, interactive experiences, and exhibitions.
Promoting inclusive participation - As part of the Campaign’s effort to foster social inclusion and strengthen community cohesion, in addition to continuing to engage trainees from the Hong Chi Association in the existing recycling and plastic sorting processes, the Campaign will also invite them this year to participate in the design and production of upcycled artworks and creative products. This aims to provide trainees with broader training opportunities and more diverse hands-on experiences.
Mr. Simon Cheung, Managing Director of Nestlé Hong Kong, said: "Nestlé Hong Kong has consistently integrated sustainability into the core of its business, actively promoting waste reduction, recycling and sustainable packaging across the entire value chain. We are delighted that the Campaign spearheaded in collaboration with the Hong Chi Association in 2020 has expanded territory-wide, contributing to the community's recycling network. We hope that in its seventh year, the initiative will evolve from recycling to creating value—covering a wider range of recyclable materials, while incorporating art and social inclusion, and environmental protection in everyday life."
Ms. Zuie Lin, General Secretary of Hong Chi Association, said: "For years, Hong Chi Association has been dedicated to promoting environmental protection and social inclusion. In recent years, we have endeavored to implement ESG principles in our social services. We are glad to continue our partnership with Nestlé Hong Kong to co-create a platform that integrates environmental sustainability, arts, and inclusion. The Campaign not only raises public awareness in recycling and resource circularity but also enables Hong Chi trainees to learn practical skills in recycling, sorting, and upcycling. It allows them to unleash their potential through hands-on experience while simultaneously uncovering further possibilities for our ESG initiatives!"
Photo Captions:
Image 1: Nestlé Hong Kong and Hong Chi Association launch the digital version of their "Type 5 PP Plastic Recycling Scheme DIY STEAM Education Kit". Distributed complimentarily to nearly 550 primary schools across Hong Kong, these materials inspire students to craft eco-friendly toys creatively with everyday items.
Image 2: Nestlé Hong Kong and Hong Chi Association host information station and workshop under the "Type 5 PP Plastic Recycling Campaign" to raise environmental awareness.
Image 3 & 4: In addition to actively promoting the recycling of PP plastic, the sixth year "Type 5 PP Plastic Recycling Campaign” has taken a further step by transforming collected PP plastics into items such as upcycled PP earrings and shoe accessories. These products are available for sale on the Hong Chi eShop and physical store for the first time, giving the materials that were once plastic waste a new lease on life through a circular process.
