Taipei City Government

Dressed in a chef’s uniform, Mayor Ko Wen-je joined five-start chefs in turning leftover food into delicious meals in an event to support the “save food” initiative in Nangang on December 2.

The green event was organized by Leofoo Tourism Group.

As a way to advocate resource recycling, organizers also took the opportunity to call upon the public to donate unused stuff to disadvantaged children. To the surprise and amusement of participants, the city mascot Bravo the Bear appeared at the occasion to demonstrate his support with an unlikely present – a large fish!

According to Department of Information and Tourism Commissioner Chien Yu-yen, the accommodation industry places considerable emphasis on the quality of services. However, the City’s policy to promote eco-friendly measures at hotels – for example encouraging leftover takeaway, adjusting air-conditioning temperatures to 26 degrees Celsius, switching lighting to energy-saving mode, skipping changing bedsheets, and not providing disposable amenities – could result in customer discontent if no sound supplementary measures are put in place.

Chien stressed that with Taipei’s hotel and lodging industry receiving an average of 10 million guests a year, it is pivotal that a balance is stricken between customer satisfaction and eco-friendliness through innovative thinking and marketing.

As such, Chien announced that the City will take an active role in overseeing the establishment of 20 new environment-friendly hotels next year. Incentives will also be implemented in line with the central government’s policies for accommodation businesses in installing energy conservation equipment, a measure set to benefit 600 hotels across the city.