PROBLEM STATEMENT

• Celebrating all cultures and festivities in a multicultural setting is one of our identities as a nation, this includes our pride in having great food from all cultures. However, this celebration of food has become excessive as according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released in April 2024, Malaysians produce a staggering amount of food waste at 259.82kg per capita annually.
• Routinely, unconsumed food will turn bad before the next service and the hotels are forced to discard the excess food as general waste. In most cases, because the good habit of composting is less prevalent in Malaysia, the general waste in hotels and restaurants would end up in landfills in the outskirts of cities. We believe that without mitigation, this might result in environmental concerns and resource depletion.
• Therefore, as young citizens of the nation, we understand the importance of a coordinated effort between local NGOs and hospitality industry players to address the problem through an optimisation process of food waste management. This proposal will highlight the potential solutions on the matter, specifically through the composting process that would benefit multiple stakeholders if implemented. Consequently, we anticipate that our planned efforts to nurture the relationship between both parties will push the sustainability agenda in line with the 12^th goal of the Sustainable Development Goal with emphasis on Responsible Consumption and Production.