HONG KONG: Estimating that schools now throw away about 270,000 disposable lunchboxes a day, causing significant financial and environmental waste, the government has made its decision on how to deal with the problem.

To minimize such waste, authorities yesterday told schools that they can apply for government subsidies from early next month to set up on-site meal portioning facilities.

Addressing concerns that students may have to pay more for meals, authorities and meal suppliers said on-site portioning of school lunches may not cost students more in meal prices.

Assistant Director of Environmental Protection Ellen Chan admitted that some meal suppliers currently charge more for on-site meal portioning service than for handing out pre-packaged lunchboxes, but added, "They will adjust prices when more firms compete in the market," after she met with some 120 representatives of almost 100 schools on the new scheme.

Reinforcing the point, Alec Chan Pui-ming, the executive director of Murray Catering Company, said, "I won't dare increase prices, as I have to secure as many orders as possible ... But my operational costs will definitely jump, making it harder for me to run the business."

He said his company currently provides lunches for about 50 schools, three of which allow students to order their portions on-site.

As for the hope that portioning will result in less waste of uneaten food, Chan said from his experience, there will still be leftovers under the on-site portioning system, as students tend to order a serving larger than they can finish.

He said his firm uses reusable lunchboxes and passes the leftovers to a pig farmer.

Favoring an approach different from the government's plan, he called on the government to subsidize or hand out loans to meal suppliers for collecting leftovers, instead of financing schools to set up on-site portioning facilities.

Julita Lee, the director of Ausino Food, a meal provider for schools, said her firm currently charges around HK$17 for each individually portioned meal, while a pre-packaged lunchbox sells for about HK$16.

She said she probably won't increase the fees if her competitors keep the prices unchanged.

"The competition is keen," she said, adding, "We will adjust prices depending on the market situation and the overall economy."

She said she backs the government's initiative, but noted that opening an air-conditioned canteen for students to eat together may also cost schools a lot.

Pui Yuk-chun, the president of the Joint Council of Parent Teacher Associations of the Sha Tin District, also said she is throwing her support behind the authorities' move.

She suggested students bring their own containers to take meals so that meal suppliers have no need to do the wash up.

Principal Environmental Protection Officer Betty Cheung said authorities have set aside HK$50 million to subsidize government-funded schools to set up kitchens or buy facilities for providing on-site portioning.

She expected about 50 schools will benefit at the start and pledged to seek more funding if needed. The subsidy each school gets may vary, Cheung said.

She noted that schools winning the subsidies must provide on-site portioning of meals for at least three years.

Chan expected meal suppliers will cook vegetables and rice at schools but prepare meat in advance.

The funding application process will open on December 7. No quota has been set.

(HK Edition 11/18/2009 page1)