DBS unveils metaverse game tackling global food waste

Singapore players will be treated to extra rewards, redeemable through DBS PayLah!

DBS has unveiled its metaverse concept for DBS BetterWorld, with a focus on global food waste.

The “gamified adventure” will aim to demonstrate what Businesses for Impact– supported by the DBS foundation– plan to address the global food waste challenge, the bank announced in a press release.

An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes or one-third of all food produced in the world are wasted each year, according to data from the United Nations.

In the concept, players must complete a series of activities inspired by five businesses supported by the DBS Foundation and their unique approach to mitigating food waste: Brewerkz, which focus on upcycling brewers’ spent grains; Breer, a Hong Kong startup that collects surplus bread and uses it to brew craft beer; GreenPrice, which specializes in selling food close to or past their best before date; Edible Garden City, which aims to make soil-based urban farming and edible gardening more accessible to city dwellers; and Rooftop Republic, a Hong Kong-based company that turns underutilised and unconventional spaces into urban farms.

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Karen Ngui, head of group strategic marketing and communications at DBS and a board member of DBS Foundation, highlighted the metaverse’ ability to be used to increase awareness and address important ESG issues.

“For starters, with DBS BetterWorld, we have chosen to delve into the challenges of food waste and food resilience, issues that DBS and the DBS Foundation have been championing, in a unique and engaging way,” Ngui said.

“As metaverse technologies mature, we hope to create mechanisms for communities and businesses to translate the outcomes of their virtual initiatives to real world impact,” she added.

Players based in Singapore will be treated to extra rewards which can be redeemed via special QR codes accessed using DBS PayLah! 2.

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DBS has also included easter eggs for players to discover, including cameo appearances by popular characters from the bank’s award-winning web series, Sparks.

DBS BetterWorld will be accessible to the public once The Sandbox’s Alpha Season 43 is launched.