Mannings clinches two wins at FMCG Asia Awards 2024

The company offered a safe disposal service for unused medicines.

Mannings, a leading Health and Beauty retail chain in Hong Kong, took home two major titles at the coveted FMCG Asia Awards 2024 for its “Safe Disposal of Unused Medicines” programme. This initiative aims to educate the public on safely handling unused medicines whilst safeguarding environmental and community health.

As Hong Kong’s first community pharmacy chain to offer a safe and convenient disposal service for unused medicines, Mannings collects household pharmaceutical waste to prevent harmful disposal practices. Many individuals throw away expired medicines with household waste or flush them down the toilet, contaminating the soil and water sources before accumulating in human bodies through crops, water, or seafood. Worse, the increased exposure may generate drug resistance and create “superbugs,” posing significant risks to public health.

Mannings has collected over one million unused pills within one month in 2023, and has expanded the programme this year to cover nearly 60 of its pharmacy chains. In 2024, the programme has collected over 3.3 million pills in just one month.

The company has also set up collection boxes across Mannings stores that provide pharmacy services, ensuring that the collected pills are handed over to an Environmental Protection Department-licensed chemical waste collector for safe and proper disposal at a treatment centre, thereby minimising environmental impact.

At the same time, Mannings pharmacists also offer complimentary Medication Counselling Service, advising customers on the correct use of medications to minimise wastage or over-storage, reducing the accumulation of expired medicine at source.

The company also played a critical role to enhance community awareness through educational content, including engagement on social platforms, extensive media coverage, and informative reels to drive community reach.

These efforts have resulted in a total of 17 million impressions recorded. Organic teasers have also garnered over 1,200 reactions, achieving a remarkable 565% increase in engagement compared to previous efforts, along with 38 extensive media coverages – an 11% increment rise from the prior year.

The programme has received positive feedback from customers, frontline staff, and partners, all of whom found the initiative and health advice from Mannings pharmacists valuable.

“The public response greatly exceeded our expectations, and it also reflected the need [for] such disposal service in Hong Kong. Thank you to Mannings for the initiative, and to the public for their participation - this helps divert chemical waste to the appropriate location for treatment and reduce the pollution to our environment,” said Alex Law, Waylung Waste Services Assistant Project Development Manager.

Mannings’ commitment to enhancing safety in local households and proper medication use has earned them the awards for ESG Initiative of the Year - Hong Kong and the Health & Wellness Initiative of the Year - Hong Kong categories.

Organised by Retail Asia, the FMCG Asia Awards is a prestigious event that celebrates the most outstanding companies in Asia’s FMCG industry, recognising exceptional products, innovative initiatives, and remarkable projects.

The FMCG Asia Awards is presented by Retail Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2025 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's exceptional products or initiatives in the FMCG industry, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].