With a tantalising array of satay chicken, wok-fried mud crab and chilled tiger prawns, the dinner buffet at Singapore’s Grand Hyatt hotel typically sets diners back about $70. Those on a tighter budget and with an eye on sustainability can fill a box for a 10th of that price.
Across Asia, technology start-ups are taking food otherwise destined for landfill and providing discounted meals through mobile phone apps.
About a third of food is lost or wasted every year globally, and the mountains of waste are estimated to cause 8 per cent to 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions such as methane, the UN says. The Asia-Pacific region is among the worst in the world for food waste, accounting for more than half of food squandered globally.
“A common mantra that I have is that being sustainable should be attainable,” said Preston Wong, chief executive and co-founder of treatsure, which collaborates with chains including the Hyatt, Accor Group and the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel to allow app users to pick out and collect a “buffet-in-a-box” of food that would otherwise be thrown out.
“I think technology can bridge that gap,” he said.
With more than 30,000 users, treatsure has saved an estimated 30 metric tonnes of food from going to waste since it launched in 2017, with users typically having to wait until the end of service before they can collect their food, according to Mr Wong.
Still, that’s a far cry from the 817,000 tonnes of food waste in Singapore in 2021, a 23 per cent increase from the year prior. Authorities say the city state’s only landfill, Semakau, is expected to meet Singapore’s solid waste disposal needs up to 2035 and beyond.
Hong Kong faces similar problems. It has already filled up 13 landfills, and about 3,300 tonnes of food waste per day were dumped in its remaining sites in 2020, according to Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department.
“The space is very limited,” said Anne-Claire Béraud, Hong Kong country manager of Phenix by OnTheList, an app launched in the territory last year. “Everything is very dense so there isn’t a lot of space to treat all this waste.”
The app allows users to pick up a “Mystery Basket” of food at stores including Pret A Manger and local cake shop The Cakery for a minimum 50 per cent discount.
So far it has sold 25,000 baskets, with each equating to about a kilogram of food saved from going to waste and 4.5kg of carbon dioxide emissions avoided, the company says.
Phenix’s original platform was launched in France in 2014 and expanded to four other European countries where it’s saved 150 million meals. It collaborated with OnTheList, a flash-sale company, to bring the app to Asia.
The concept of food sustainability is still in its infancy in Asia, compared with North America and Europe where authorities are cracking down. France has already banned supermarkets from throwing away unsold food, and Spain recently drafted legislation to tackle waste by fining companies. US states including California and New Jersey have laws to reduce the amount of food going to landfills.
That’s boosted the popularity of apps like Too Good To Go, which was launched in Denmark in 2016 and now operates in 17 countries including the US, Canada and the UK. It has has provided more than 152 million meals through its so-called Magic Bags, which are sold at a discount by shops and restaurants at the end of the day with items that would otherwise have been thrown out.
In a region as culturally diverse as Asia, smaller local start-ups are getting a foothold catering to their home market.
Companies “have to match that region’s culture and habits", said Taichi Isaku, co-founder and chief product officer of CoCooking, which created the Tabete food-rescue app in Japan. “It’s an area that has to be nurtured in order to successfully introduce new technologies.”
Tabete, released in 2018 in Japan, is a free app with a similar business model to Too Good To Go. It has rescued 384,000 meals, accumulated 525,000 users and partnered with 2,140 shops.
Tess Kermode, director of international expansion at UK-based Olio, agrees that companies need to “understand the culture and the people in a particular market".
The firm operates in 62 countries including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand and the Philippines. The app is mostly community based with neighbors posting free food to be picked up from their homes. So-called Food Waste Heroes also collect surplus produce from businesses and bring it home to list.
Olio says the app has helped save almost 58 million portions of food worldwide. Its largest international market is Singapore, where it has over 125,000 users and a formal partnership with foodpanda’s online market. The firm has ambitions to expand but, like other apps, says a lack of awareness of food sustainability in Asia is currently a handbrake on growth.
“Consumer-facing technology such as applications on personal devices can be very useful,” said Anthony Bennett, senior food systems officer for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in the Asia-Pacific. “However, this topic should be considered along with increasing the overall food literacy for consumers.”
Some apps, including treatsure and Tabete, are taking such matters into their own hands and trying to educate users with tips on reducing food waste and recipes on their social media pages.
“In North America and Europe, there’s been some maturity in understanding such challenges and tackling them,” said treatsure’s Mr Wong. “But in Asia, this narrative has just begun.”
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight Championship AJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
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Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
MATCH INFO
Hoffenheim v Liverpool
Uefa Champions League play-off, first leg
Location: Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
Kick-off: Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
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