“Quality Restaurant Environmental Management Scheme” Opens for Application

To encourage catering operators to enhance competitiveness by implementing environmental management measures, the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurant and Related Trades (HKFORT) and the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) today (8 December 2011) launched Hong Kong’s first accreditation scheme for the trade on environmental performance - “Quality Restaurant Environmental Management Scheme” (QREMS).

Funded by the Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) of the HKSAR Government, QREMS aims to promote adoption of environmental practices in the catering sector for resources utilization and cost saving, and to enhance corporate image. The general public will also be able to make their green dining choice from the list of accredited catering operators.

Dr Kitty Poon, Under Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government, officiated at the launching ceremony, accompanied by Dr Chan Shou-ming, Chairman of HKFORT; Mr Clement Chen, Chairman of HKPC; and Mr Simon Tam, Chairman of the Scheme’s Steering Committee. Representatives from the first batch of participants of QREMS also joined the ceremony.

Dr Kitty Poon said, “I am pleased that the local catering sector has launched this voluntary Scheme to enhance its environmental performance for a green living. QREMS has set the quality standards and best practices for catering operators in energy efficiency, water usage, waste management, wastewater management, air pollution and noise management. It again demonstrates the synergy of government-industry partnerships. Together with the concerted efforts of HKPC, the Scheme’s Steering Committee and industry representatives, QREMS will successfully help the catering sector scale new heights in environmental protection.”

Dr Chan said, “QREMS offers a set of clear and useful standards on environmental management for the industry, enabling trade operators to easily contribute to environment protection without pressure while enhancing competitiveness.”

On HKPC’s role in serving the catering sector, Mr Chen said, “Providing comprehensive support in food safety management, technology application, service excellence and environmental management, HKPC is striving to promote the sustainable development of the local catering sector. Leveraging on our professional experience in various quality service schemes and environmental management, QREMS will assess the environmental performance of the participant operators. The operators will benefit from enhanced competitiveness while improving the environment.”

QREMS covers five types of catering operators, namely ‘Chinese Restaurants’, ‘Non-Chinese Restaurants’, ‘Fast Food Shops’, ‘Other Eating and Drinking Places’, and ‘Food Manufacturing or Processing Factories’. It will assess the performance of the applicants in ‘Energy Efficiency’, ‘Water Efficiency’, ‘Waste Management’, ‘Wastewater Management’, ‘Air Pollution Management’, ‘Noise Management’ and ‘Overall Environmental Management’. They will be awarded the QREMS Logo upon full compliance of the mandatory criteria and passing the optional criteria.

To encourage participation from the trade, The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Ltd. will sponsor the first 20 SME applicants of the scheme.

QREMS is now open for application. For further information, please visit the website: www.qrems.hk, or contact Mr Kenny Wong of HKPC at tel.: (852) 2788 5647 or email: kenny@hkpc.org; or Mr Mark Yeung of HKFORT at tel.: (852) 2523 6128 or email: hkfort@netvigator.com.

For other media enquiries, please contact Mr Felix Chan of HKPC at tel.: (852) 2788 5036 or email: felixchan@hkpc.org.

*        *        *

8 December 2011

Dr Chan Shou-ming, Chairman of HKFORT

Dr Kitty Poon, Under Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government

Mr Clement Chen, Chairman of HKPC

(From left) Mr Simon Tam, Chairman of the Quality Restaurant Environmental Management Scheme’s Steering Committee; Dr Chan Shou-ming, Chairman of HKFORT; Dr Kitty Poon, Under Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government; Mr Cary Chan, Chairman of Environmental Education and Community Action Projects Vetting Subcommittee of Environment and Conservation Fund; Mr Clement Chen, Chairman of HKPC and Mrs Agnes Mak, Executive Director of HKPC officiated at the launching ceremony of the Scheme