DFI Retail Group and its banners win eight ESGBusiness Awards for practical sustainability solutions
The winning initiatives span collaborative innovation, sustainable packaging, energy efficiency, supply chain transformation, circular product design, community health, and waste management.
DFI Retail Group and its banners received eight ESGBusiness Awards this year for practical sustainability solutions spanning supply-chain decarbonisation, packaging, store energy, logistics, circularity, community health, and waste management.
DFI Retail Group received the Collaborative Partnership Award - Hong Kong for launching the DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge with The Mills Fabrica to identify scalable beef and dairy solutions that reduce Scope 3 emissions without compromising animal health, productivity, or farmer profitability. Between December 2025 and March 2026, the Challenge attracted more than 40 submissions from over 30 countries. Winner Number 8 Bio’s solution reduces enteric methane from cattle and sheep while improving productivity. DFI is exploring regional supply-chain pilots between this winning solution and their Asian supplier base.
In addition, the Green Packaging Solution Award - Hong Kong recognised the transformation of Own Brand packaging using circular design principles, the Consumer Goods Forum’s Golden Design Rules and the 5Rs framework. In 2025, 83% of Own Brand plastic packaging components were recyclable, reusable, or compostable, advancing the target of at least 85% by 2030.
7-Eleven Hong Kong & Macau received the Sustainable Product Design Award - Hong Kong and Excellence Award - Hong Kong for Circular Economy for Grounds to Green, which converts used 7CAFÉ coffee grounds into agricultural inputs. In FY2025, the programme diverted around 1.4 million cups of coffee grounds, equivalent to 30 tonnes, supported 2,371 kilogrammes of crop production and reached 5,645 underprivileged beneficiaries. Closing the loop from waste to retail, produce grown through the programme is also used across a growing range of 7-SELECT products, including meal boxes, onigiri, soups, congee, bread, and juices, enabling customers to participate in environmental and social impact through everyday purchases.
Mannings received the Community Health Outreach Programme Award - Hong Kong and Waste Management Award - Hong Kong for its Safe Disposal of Unused Medicines Programme. In 2025, two territory-wide collections recovered about seven million tablets and capsules, equivalent to 2,600 kilogrammes of medicines, from 1,415 boxes, with access through around 60 Mannings pharmacy collection points and 11 NGO partner locations.
DFI Lucky Private Limited received the Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme Award - Cambodia and Sustainable Supply Chain Award - Cambodia. Its Sustainable Store Energy Program combined operating schedule improvements, refrigeration upgrades, and locally developed chiller doors—refined through more than ten design iterations and rolled out across 66 stores and 115 chillers—to save about 1.6 million kilowatt-hours and more than US$300,000 annually. Reusable roll-cage covers, fuller deliveries and electric vehicles eliminated an estimated 23 tonnes of plastic waste, avoided about 38 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, cut delivery trips by 67% and generated almost US$400,000 in cumulative savings.
Together, the awards reflect DFI’s approach of partnering, testing solutions in real operations, measuring outcomes and embedding successful practices across products, stores, and markets.
The ESGBusiness Awards celebrates companies that are leading the way in building a sustainable future. The awards programme honours businesses that demonstrate outstanding commitment and achievement in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.
The ESGBusiness Awards is presented by ESGBusiness. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2027 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding commitment and achievement in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, please contact Jan Yante at +65 3158 1386 or [email protected].
