Invisible x The Peak Hunter Merino Collection.
Promoting sustainability requires concrete action from all levels. foodpanda’s pandamart, Hong Kong's leading online grocery delivery platform, is committed to providing a greener shopping experience. They achieve this by highlighting eco-friendly options in their "Eco-life" category, adopting compostable shopping bags, and implementing local bag collection programs.
In this interview, they will reveal their deeper waste reduction strategies and how they leverage their platform to promote responsible consumption and sustainable living.
Recycling is not difficult—you can easily achieve more sustainable living simply by washing and segregating waste properly.
#1 Can you introduce us this first pandamart concept store in Hong Kong?
We chose Sai Ying Pun, one of our top sales locations, as our first pandamart concept store to connect directly with end customers where they live and work. As a fun and vibrant brand, we dressed the whole store in our signature pink and prominently feature our mascot, Pau-Pau. Our interior showcases pandamart products and incorporates a composting collection bin, inviting customers to learn about our sustainable actions.
Source From: foodpanda
#2 What is the genesis of sourcing locally produced products?
Our local sourcing mission is rooted in corporate responsibility: to support local businesses and reduce carbon emissions by shortening logistics distances. We prioritize local organic produce, farmed fish, sauces, and noodles to offer a diverse assortment that differentiates us from traditional supermarkets.
Our primary customers are busy office workers who need quick access to fresh, healthier options. pandamart serves this need by offering variety at different price points. Going forward, we will continue searching for more local brands and partnerships to expand our offerings.
#3 What sustainability initiatives does pandmart have in place in the stores and operations?
As an online supermarket, we tackle the short shelf life challenge by partnering with Foodlink Foundation to regularly donate near-expired food. To minimize logistics waste, we donate all incoming cardboard boxes from imported goods to local cardboard pickers in the community.
Our efforts also include enlarging recycling product categories and collaborating with sustainable brands. Every month, we partner with ImpactHK to donate food and daily necessities to support the homeless.
A 2018 interview by Hong Kong Free Press showed elders collecting cardboard on the streets with their full trolley before going to the recycling depot. Photo by Isaac Lawrence/AFP
foodpanda collaborates with local nonprofit organization ImpactHK to distribute food and supplies to the homeless in the community.
Source From: foodpanda Facebook
#4 Why choose #INVISIBLEBAG for pandamart?
pandamart recognizes that packaging is unavoidable for delivery, so our strategy is to reduce waste at the source by choosing superior materials.
Our initial solution was to adopt compostable shopping bags and implement a collection program. However, traditional paper bags often break during humid or rainy weather, which is inconvenient for riders. We needed a safe, durable, and eco-friendly alternative.
We chose #INVISIBLEBAG because it is recognized as the most sustainable plastic bag option: it easily dissolves in hot water without forming microplastics. This unique bioplastic material disrupts customers’ inherent ideas about single-use packaging, encouraging reuse as bin liners. Moving forward, we will continue to increase #INVISIBLEBAG usage for non-perishable, dry items delivered on non-rainy days to meet our operational and sustainability goals.
Since 2022, all pandamart stores have switched to eco-friendly shopping bags, with a compostable bioplastic bag, water-soluble #INVISIBLEBAG, and recyclable paper bag.
#5 How does pandmart promote and educate consumers about this initiative and collecting different bags in use for your operations or products?
pandamart promotes its sustainable initiatives and compostable bag collection program across all platforms, including the foodpanda app, website, social media, and in-store TV. Our strategy is to use both digital and physical touchpoints for education:
Physical Education: Both eco-friendly, compostable shopping bag options include printed information detailing the difference between the material and conventional plastic. Specifically, the #INVISIBLEBAG features instructions on how to safely dissolve it in hot water, or how to return bags to stores for composting.
Digital Reach: We leverage our digital channels to ensure consumers are well-informed about the collection program's mechanics and the unique disposal methods of their eco-friendly bags.
foodpanda introduces the eco-friendly shopping bags and how to dissolve #INVISIBLEBAG on their webpage.
#6 How important is it for businesses to take a proactive role in promoting sustainable practices and reducing waste?
It is vitally important for businesses to take a proactive role. Delivery services often suffer from the perception of being "not eco-friendly," so it's essential for us to counter this. While providing convenience, we must simultaneously offer eco-friendly alternatives to alleviate customer concerns about the negative environmental impact of takeout.
This role is highly strategic: marketing activities and brand image are directly complementary to sustainability efforts. By choosing eco-friendly materials, we show customers they can enjoy convenience while actively supporting environmental protection.
As a brand that interacts with diverse customers daily, our communication must consistently promote protecting the environment. Our job is to go beyond driving business goals and actively instill positive values, proving that convenience need not equate to being unfriendly to the environment if we reduce waste at the source.
#7 What tips would you give customers to shop in a more eco-conscious way at pandamart?
When shopping at pandamart, customers can pay attention to brands that offer eco-friendly packaging alternatives. We created a category called “Eco-life” to feature local and eco-friendly products. With this, customers can prioritize supporting these sustainable brands as we work towards a more responsible and vibrant future together. Meanwhile, we have selected three stores closest to the residential areas in each of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories as recycling collection points for composting. Customers can also reuse eco-friendly shopping bags, giving them a second life.
foodpanda and Invisible Company created a video with Pau Pau to demonstrate the recycling collection for composting program.
#8 Any upcoming plan for pandamart?
To enhance convenience, we are launching a "Pick-up" service at stores like Sai Ying Pun, enabling customers to collect orders immediately. We are also expanding our cross-district delivery service to further extend coverage across Hong Kong, including remote areas and beaches.
We aim to diversify our food options by introducing more high-frequency fresh food (meat, fish, eggs) and specialty assortments like vegan/keto products. We are also partnering with local NGOs for unique, locally handmade goods. Our merchandising team actively reviews sales to adjust forecasts, ensuring we reduce food waste and grow the new "Eco-life" category.
pandamart also delivers to remote areas, such as Gold Coast, Silverstrand, Deep Water Bay, and Victoria Peak Garden. If customers go to beaches or have BBQs on the weekend, they can simply place an order on the APP and pandamart will deliver the groceries to those locations.
Source from: quit gor
Source from: quit gor
#9 What’s your daily action to promote sustainability?
Recycling has been my daily habit for five years. I ensure every item is properly segregated, rinsed, dried, and stored before weekly drop-offs. I even treat takeaway containers like reusable ones. Recycling is not difficult—sustainable living is accessible simply by washing and segregating waste properly.
Eric Ling, Head of Marketing for Quick Commerce at foodpanda Hong Kong
pandamart Sai Ying Pun Concept Store
Opening hours: 24 hours a day, all year round
Address: 582 Queen’s Road West, Shek Tong Tsui
Find all pandamart locations here at their website. You can also learn more about their sustainability here.