Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) will launch the “Zero Food Waste to Landfill” initiative in Kuching tomorrow, 28 July, marking Sarawak’s first business events pilot project aimed at achieving international certification for measurable food waste prevention.
The pilot runs across the 4 days of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) 51st World Polymer Congress (MACRO 2026), from 28 to 31 July, in partnership with the Malaysian Institute of Chemistry (Institut Kimia Malaysia), Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), The Waterfront Hotel Kuching and Conference Partners Asia.
With more than 800 delegates attending, it will test whether food waste management practices can be integrated into a major international conference without compromising the delegate experience – a live case study anticipated to become a model for future business events in Sarawak.
A first step toward certification
BESarawak is aiming for the pilot to earn The Pledge on Food Waste Certification, an international standard for measurable food waste prevention and diversion. Starting tomorrow, measures will be integrated across both venues — BCCK, the main conference site, and The Waterfront Hotel Kuching, where the gala dinner will be held — covering menu planning, portion management, and recovering surplus ingredients where food safety permits. Every stage of the pilot will be logged through a compliance platform and independently assessed, with results to be shared publicly once the congress concludes.
For the Sarawak Government, this initiative demonstrates its commitment to embedding sustainability into economic development through practical, measurable action.
“This initiative is proof that Sarawak’s business events sector can lead by example, developing practical solutions that support a circular economy and encourage more responsible consumption. It is the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 in action, showing that economic growth and environmental responsibility can move forward together in Sarawak’s business events industry,” said Datu Hii Chang Kee, Deputy State Secretary (Operation) and Chairman of BESarawak.
For the Institute, the initiative demonstrates that sustainability should be reflected not only in scientific research, but also in the way international scientific conferences are organised.
“Scientific excellence must be matched by responsible action. We are proud to work with our partners to show that meaningful sustainability can be integrated into business events, and we hope this inspires delegates and future scientific meetings to adopt more sustainable practices,” said Datuk ChM Dr Soon Ting Kueh, President of IKM and Advisor for the 51st IUPAC World Polymer Congress (MACRO 2026).
For BESarawak, the ambition extends beyond the single congress.
“Achieving The Pledge on Food Waste Certification will prove that sustainable food waste management can be built into large-scale business events successfully. More than that, it will give future conferences a practical model to follow — setting a new benchmark for sustainable business events in Sarawak,” said Jason Tan Chin Foo, Chief Executive Officer, BESarawak.
The ‘Zero Food Waste to Landfill’ initiative also supports three UN Sustainable Development Goals: Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Climate Action (SDG 13) — positioning Sarawak’s business events sector within a global sustainability framework.
