3600 tonnes of food is wasted every, single, day, in the city of Hong Kong. Coupled with this, 47% of store disposed food is leftover bread, expected to completely exhaust landfill capacity in Hong Kong by the end of 2022. With the coronavirus, the pick and go model that Hong Kong’s bakeries relied on has seen reduced demand, but supply stands firm. Because of this, food waste has been increasing at a fast rate, with more supermarkets and bakeries finding unsold bread at closing ties. Simultaneously, Hong Kong is one of the heaviest beer drinkers in the world – with 30+ billion litres of annual beer consumption! This growing craft beer trend and rise of consumers looking for new tastes while prioritising sustainability gave birth to Breer as a food upcycling venture that collects otherwise unsold and uneaten bread, and uses it to brew local craft beer. Anchored around their aim to serve the ask of UNSDG#12 & #13 by promoting sustainable drinking across Hong Kong, this beer brand wants to involve the Hong Kong’s community to take a part in this food upcycling revolution.
Being staunch proponents of the phrase – ‘Waste is not waste until you waste it’, Breer is revolutionary because it reintroduces otherwise wasted food back into the supply chain, supports local businesses, and presents customers with exactly what they wanted. The start-up was born out of the mutual passion of its then student co-founders to alleviate food wastage, illustrating the ease with which one can make a sustainable choice. You don’t need to change your consumption habits – you simply need to opt for the option that makes a difference, with every, single, sip.
