Maxim’s Group will launch two books at the Hong Kong Book Fair next week to promote STEM education and a food-cherishing philosophy to the public.

All You Can Cook! Happy Green Campaign: Creative Zero-Waste Recipes from Surplus to Feast is a free e-book featuring more than 30 creative zero-waste recipes. The e-book was inspired by award-winning entries from the 2025 All You Can Cook! X Happy Green Campaign, a culinary competition co-organized by HK Electric and Maxim’s Group in September 2025.

The book, which will be available as a free download during the book fair via the “All You Can Save” website, encourages readers to incorporate food-saving habits into daily life by transforming surplus or often-overlooked ingredients into dishes.

Since last year, the company said it has saved about 3,400 kilograms of surplus ingredients through food-cherishing initiatives and dining promotions.

The second book, titled STEM Chinese vs Western Desserts Challenge, is a children’s picture book that introduces the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts behind local popular Chinese and Western desserts, including mooncakes, egg rolls, and almond strips. It also explains concepts such as food-waste management and the circular economy in an effort to help children develop a broader understanding of food, science, and environmental protection.

The new publications are part of “New Chapter in Food Cherishing”, a multifaceted initiative launched by Maxim’s in the city on June 25.

Diane Wong Shuk-han, under secretary for environment and ecology of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, said in her speech at the launch ceremony that the government has been promoting a “food wise – waste less” culture through various programs and activities to educate the public on sustainable eating habits.

The government is also improving the food-waste recycling network to turn waste into energy, with cooperation from various sectors. The amount of food waste disposed of in the city has steadily declined by 12.7 percent overall, from 3,437 metric tons daily in 2021 to about 3,000 tons in 2024, Wong said. The disposal of domestic food waste has dropped significantly, by about 15 percent.

“The key to fundamentally solving the food-waste problem lies in the entire community actively practicing a culture of ‘food-wise’,” Wong said, urging members of the public to start by “buying smartly, cooking wisely and eating it all”.

She also encouraged the public to refer to the recipes in the new book to use all parts of ingredients and continue to support government efforts toward the goal of “zero landfill”.

To integrate zero-waste concepts into professional education, Maxim’s will cooperate with three tertiary institutions to launch the “All You Can Cook! Creative Cuisine Training Programme” in September. The institutions are the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Chinese Culinary Institute, and the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong.

As part of the program, award-winning Maxim’s chefs who have participated in the “All You Can Cook” initiative will share with students their perspectives on zero-waste cooking, ingredient upcycling techniques and practical experience in sustainable food and beverage operations. On-campus creative cooking competitions will also be held in the three institutions, the company said.