Savouring Our Future - Go green with customers at heart

I like the cake box design with a well-constructed handle a lot. It is gentle on the hands, and saves an extra plastic bag.

Fashion designer Annie shows and tells her green living beliefs to her daughter.

Convenience with green in mind

Fashion designer Annie has always been conscious about green living. A frequent shopper at the Maxim’s Cakes near her office, she cares as much about packaging as the cakes she buys. “I love the handle design of the cake box. Unlike the rope handle of the old version, it’s gentle to my hand and saves an extra plastic bag. By peeking through the small window on the box top, I can make sure I have the right purchase, even when I’m in a rush.”

Paper packaging is only the beginning of a larger mission to raise public awareness of less plastic. It has been more than two years since Maxim’s Cakes stopped voluntarily supplying plastic cake knives, extra plastic bags, plastic utensils and other items in an attempt to encourage customers to use reusable utensils at home and restaurants while enjoying cakes.

The Milo-flavoured Chocolate Cake box packaging is made of bagasse paper.

Cake in a burger box?

Theresa Tang, Head of Business, Maxim’s Cakes and Subsidiary Brands, added that the paper box is certified by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which fights deforestation by ensuring that the packaging material can be traced to specific responsibly managed forests. “The stringent regulation guarantees that the paper used is both of fine quality and bio-degradable. Customer feedback has been very positive.”

Another biodegradable product is the burger box-like packaging of the newly launched Milo-flavoured Chocolate Cake. The fun packaging was an instant hit, with customers enjoying desserts with the convenience of enjoying a hamburger. The team was also pleasantly surprised to see people checking-in and posting photos on social media.

Digitalisation accelerates paperless consumption, and creates a more convenient shopping experience for customers.

A plastic-free, paperless future

Theresa stressed the importance of enhancing sustainability awareness within the team and among customers. “Reinforcing the ‘paperless’ mission is one key initiative. For example, we used to deliver a massive amount of promotional flyers during Mother’s Day; now they’re all replaced by a QR code that links to a promotional webpage. We’ve also seen an increasing number of senior customers using promotional coupons via our app.”

Many parents teach by example on a day-to-day basis, and fashion designer Annie is definitely one of them. From bringing her own bottles, shopping bags and utensils, waste separation and recycling, to letting her daughter use handkerchiefs instead of tissues at school, it is obvious that environmental awareness should be cultivated at a young age.

Reusable utensils are used for dine-in at all Maxim’s MX outlets starting from July this year to achieve zero single-use plastic.

Angus Ho, Executive Director of Greeners Action, highlights the ecology-destroying potential of drinking straws, despite its seemingly small size.

Sowing the seeds for less single-use plastic

“The success of the straw-free campaign planted the seed for reducing plastic use; from this we've seen an obvious shift in people’s plastic use habits,” explained Angus Ho, Executive Director of Greeners Action. “A drinking straw is small, so people tend to overlook its destructive power. For example, if we see a plastic bottle or a meal box on the floor, we’ll naturally pick it up and throw it into the bin; but a straw doesn’t draw much attention. It may get disposed of in the sea, become microplastic and pollute marine life. Eventually it becomes part of the food chain and is consumed by human beings.”

Thomas Fan, Head of Quick Service Restaurants of Maxim’s Group, says a detailed roadmap is in place in response to the government’s plastic ban in 2025.

Leaving no small good deed undone

Thomas Fan, Head of Quick Service Restaurants of Maxim’s Group, agreed that ‘straw-free’ plays a vital role in the plastic-reduction movement. “Many alternative options to plastic straws are available now, such as paper straws and easy-to-drink cup lids. We are in the food service industry, it is our duty to provide a thoughtful dining experience – when we cease supplying certain utensils, an alternative must be provided to avoid inconvenience.” This July, Maxim’s kicked off a new initiative to achieve zero single-use plastics through a total implementation of reusable utensils for dine-in at all outlets.

Maxim’s MX’s roadmap to reduce plastic use:

2022

- Reusable utensils for dine-in at all outlets (zero single-use plastic)

- Complimentary water for dine-in at all outlets to reduce usage of disposable bottles and cups

2018

- Maxim’s MX was the first Chinese fast food chain in Hong Kong to fully implement a straw-free campaign, known as ‘No Straw Day’

- Stopped using styrofoam takeaway containers

2007

- All takeaway containers, utensils and straws made with recyclable plastic

- Serviettes made with FSC certified paper or upcycled paper

However small the good deed, it is worth doing for our zero plastic battle!

We have introduced cleverly designed containers made from bagasse and new staff uniforms made from upcycled material. We’re trying to make a positive impact, and green design can be pretty.

Candy Tse, Head of m.a.x. Concepts of Maxim’s Group, explains the multiple benefits of bagasse containers.

Less is more - clever use of bagasse

As early as 2007, simplylife pioneered a 'less is more’ green dining concept to reduce wastage across its operation. “From ingredients to cooking methods, presentation to packaging, minimal and natural materials were prioritized. Very early on, we started using paper takeaway containers, cup lids and bags to replace plastic.”

Candy Tse, Head of m.a.x. Concepts of Maxim’s Group, has witnessed the F&B industry’s green journey over the years, and points out how customers have become more and more green conscious over the last decade. “simplylife started early on our journey of using sustainable packaging; when plastic was still the mainstream choice, we were already using paper replacements. Now that paper is in popular demand over plastic, we’ve moved on to something even greener and more fashionable – bagasse. Bagasse is more resilient than paper, which allows for more stylish designs.”

Each Maxim’s MX uniform tee represents the contribution of 7 upcycled plastic bottles to sustainability.

Upcycled uniform tee at its best

Maxim’s MX has always been exploring innovative ways to promote sustainability. Apart from reducing use of single-use plastic, we have launched our new uniform to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. “We have used REPREVE, the new sustainable material 50% polyester + 50% recycled polyester, for our new uniform tee. Recycled polyester is 100% made from plastic bottles upcycled after consumption, which saves lots of energy. On top of that, the supplying factory has been certified with U TRUST, that means all are traceable, certified and transparent.

Mabel Leung, Head of Marketing, QSR & CSD of Maxim’s Group shared, “the new tee design highlights the professionalism and environmental belief of Maxim’s MX, while placing staff’s comfort on an equally high level. Its cost is higher than regular fabric, but the feedback from our colleagues has been great after fittings. They like how breathable, durable and comfortable the tee is, allowing them to feel refreshed and sharp at work,.”

“Green is a lifestyle. It is only when our customers and staff feel good about it, that we can add some attitude to our plastic reduction cause.”

Go green with customers at heart 05/07/2022 12:09 Reading Time 4 Mins Let’s Reduce Plastic #Green packaging #Plastic reduction #Waste reduction

Starting small to reduce plastic use 05/07/2022 19:29 Reading Time 4 Mins Let’s Reduce Plastic #Waste reduction #Plastic reduction

Maxim’s MX’s roadmap to reduce plastic use:

2022

2018

2007

Turning bagasse to containers and plastic bottles to uniforms 05/07/2022 13:15 Reading Time 4 Mins Let’s Reduce Plastic #Waste reduction #Upcycling #Plastic reduction #Green packaging