The Link Unites with the World Green Organisation to Bring Wasted Food from Fresh Markets Directly to Those in Need

The Link Together Initiatives becomes a key sponsor of ‘Linking Food With Love – From the Golden Age to the Greens’ Surplus Food Donation Project

The Link Management Limited (The Link) today announced its sponsorship of ‘Linking Food with Love – From the Golden Age to the Greens’ Surplus Food Donation Project, organised by the World Green Organisation (WGO). Supported by ‘The Link Together Initiatives’, the scheme aims at transforming wasted food into food for the needy, focusing on the fruits and vegetables discarded daily by two fresh markets operated by The Link, much of which are still edible.

To prepare for the project, WGO analysed the quantities of wasted food and municipal waste in the participating markets. Between November 2014 and January 2015, the wasted food was classified into edible and nonedible categories, while those classed as edible were further divided into four subcategories: vegetable, meat, seafood, and miscellaneous. 30%–40% of the edible, wasted food donated by the stall owners included cole crops, vegetables with poor presentation, unsold vegetables, and other processed food. (Please refer to the table below for more detailed information.)

B.C. Lo, Director of Corporate Communications and External Relations at The Link, said:

Our fresh markets are an effective platform for implementing surplus food collection and donation. Hence, The Link is playing a crucial role in ensuring that edible food is not wasted. In addition to funding the WGO project, The Link renders its full support to the programme by encouraging tenants to participate through utilising the venues we offer for collection of redistributable food. We hope that by supporting this kind of community programme, we are able to help the needy, reduce wasted food, alleviate the burden on our landfills, and promote sustainable development in Hong Kong.

Dr William Yu, CEO of WGO, said:

It is a waste that food that is still edible is sent to the landfill. The greenhouse gas generated by this wasted food in the landfill also accelerates global warming. This project implements wasted food reduction at the source, and effective use of resources. Inter-generational harmony is also promoted as families in need get support.”

He also remarked that, to alleviate the pressure on landfills, stall owners may wish to donate their unsold vegetables before they rot.

Key details of the ‘Linking Food with Love – From the Golden Age to the Greens’ Surplus Food Donation Project:

For further information, please visit: www.thewgo.org/fooddonation

A comparison of the food waste quantities between Shek Lei and H.A.N.D.S Markets:

Remarks: A large proportion of meat, fish and seafood collected are classified as edible, such as internal organs, bones, etc.

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About The Link REIT and The Link Management Limited
The Link Real Estate Investment Trust (Hong Kong stock code: 823), managed by The Link Management Limited, is the first real estate investment trust listed in Hong Kong, and currently Asia’s largest REIT and one of the world’s largest retail-focused REITs in terms of market capitalisation. Wholly owned by private and institutional investors, The Link REIT is a constituent stock of the Hang Seng Index. With a portfolio focused on community shopping centres that serve the daily needs of the people of Hong Kong, The Link serves the community by creating vibrant and unique retail experiences that meet the needs of the people who live around our shopping centres. By doing so, The Link are able to provide an effective platform through which our tenants’ businesses can flourish, while enhancing value for unitholders of The Link REIT, and supporting our local economy.

About the World Green Organisation (WGO)
WGO is an independent non-governmental organisation concerned with environmental conservation and environmentally related livelihood and economic affairs. It provides an holistic approach to a fully integrated three-pronged solution that combines social, environmental and economic aspects for an environmental revolution.

About The Link Together Initiatives
‘The Link Together Initiatives’ (The Initiatives) was established in January 2013 by The Link REIT (The Link) as its charity and community programme to support eligible charitable organisations in launching relevant service projects that benefit communities located near The Link’s properties. The Initiatives is set up with the objective of advancing sustainable development in the communities that The Link serves, as well as furthering The Link’s vision of serving and improving the lives of the people around us.

Every year, The Link contributes up to 0.25% of its net property income of the previous financial year to The Initiatives. Each awarded organisation will be granted a maximum budget of 30% of the total granted funds.

Website: http://www.thelinkreit.com/TC/corporate/Pages/linktogetherinitiatives.aspx
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