Food Waste Seminars Go Digital
Press Release
29 April – The Malta Business Bureau (MBB) and the HSBC Malta CSR Institute have hosted their first set of 
online webinars on food waste reduction, expanding these sessions to an international audience. These were organized as part of the Business Against Food Waste Campaign led by the MBB, in partnership with HSBC Malta and ITS, and with the support of Wasteserv, the Malta Tourism Authority and the Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection.
The partners have now hosted more than 250 participants over 6 seminars and 2 webinars, showing a strong appetite to reduce food waste at work and home. Participants have come from several sectors, namely manufacturing, hospitality, services, retail, the public sector, post-secondary schools, and the general public. Another set of webinars will be held on 28th and 29th May. These will feature an expert lineup of speakers, each bringing a different perspective to the food waste challenge
Food waste has become a hot topic in the EU and locally. In Europe we are throwing away roughly 20% of the food we produce, with the Maltese figures standing at 22-25%. This has several important implications, including significant environmental issues, economic losses, and ethical concerns surrounding throwing away food.
Discussing the support MBB gives to the local business community, MBB CEO Joe Tanti stated “we are committed to keep on helping businesses improve the sustainability of their operations and increase efficiency. The MBB has managed projects ranging from water conservation and energy efficiency, to food waste reduction, all of which tie into the EU’s Green Deal strategy. Increasing resource efficiency and cutting costs are even more relevant now with Covid-19’s implications for businesses.”
HSBC Malta Corporate Sustainability Manager Glenn Bugeja highlighted the bank’s commitment towards fostering greater sustainability within the community. He added that “through the Malta CSR Institute, we have managed to educate and raise awareness on key topics which have a real impact on our lives, such as water and resource efficiency. We have now seen that there is great enthusiasm to find ways to reduce food waste among our employees, clients and the public at large.”
Reflecting on the progress achieved within the campaign, MBB Project Manager Gabriel Cassar said “reducing food waste is one area which holds a lot of potential and which will result in significant environmental and economic benefits. The strong interest seen so far shows that we are on the right track. Naturally, the current situation has forced us to rethink our strategy. However, we are confident that online training is the way forward and will allow us to reach even more people, while reducing travel and our carbon footprint.”
If you would like to register for the final set of webinars in May, kindly contact Glenn Bugeja, HSBC Manager for Corporate Sustainability, on glenn.bugeja@hsbc.com.
For more information on the Business Against Food Waste Campaign, please contact MBB Project Manager Gabriel Cassar on gcassar@mbb.org.mt or go to www.mbb.org.mt/business-against-food-waste.
