STORY PREVIEW

2020

Project Zero

Damai Primary School

Singapore

MENTOR

Daniel Chua

Step 1 FEEL

List the challenges or problems in your surroundings (school,neighbourhood etc.) that bothered you.

The team felt strongly on the domains of waste management. They read up on (1) E-waste, (2) Food waste, (3) Recycle Right and (4) Reducing disposables. After reading, the team went around the school to observe how they can help the school community in the domains.

State the problem chosen to work and why.

The team decided to work on Food Waste as recess is part of their daily routine. They observed significant amount of food waste generated during their own level recess. Some of the food waste observed were uneaten portion of carbohydrates and untouched oranges. The team felt that they could do something by educating the community and recycle the food waste.

Who were the people affected by the problem? What were their primary concerns?

The team felt that through educating the school community, food waste in the school will be reduced and this will save costs and the environment. Through education, awareness of the effects of food waste will be raised and the community will be more conscious of their eating habits.

Step 2 Imagine

List ALL the different solutions you came up with.

The team came up with 1) Engaging the canteen vendors 2) Crafting a new menu with food portion cut outs 3) Conducting a survey to understand the community 4) Learning how to make compost using food waste 5) Sharing with the level on the harmful effects of food waste and what they can do to reduce food waste

Which solution from those listed above did you choose to implement and why?

The team decided to approach the project using a two pronged approach (1) To educate the community to raise awareness on the effects of food waste and reducing food wastage by working with the canteen vendors to understand students' preferences. (2) To educate and share with the community on how to recycle food waste to make compost for the school green spaces.

Step 3DO

Describe very briefly the process of implementing your solution(s).

The team proceeded with the following (Take note: the project was implemented only at P5 level due to Covid19 Safety Measures) (1) Conducted a survey during recess to understand their school mates' awareness of food wastage and preferences (2) Read up on how to make compost using food waste (3) Briefed and shared the food preferences of the students with canteen vendors and how they can contribute kitchen waste for compost (4) Briefed and shared with the P5 level on the harmful effects of food waste and ways to reduce food wastage. They also shared on the correct way to sort their food wastes to be recycled into compost thereafter (5) Track the amount of food waste and share with their schoolmates face-to-face on how to sort their food waste (6) The team learnt programming using Microbit to track moisture level for the compost (7) Designed a compost corner in the school to increase awareness of food waste and recycling food waste (8) The team designed food waste and compost posters and put up in the canteen to serve as reminders and raise awareness.

What was the result or impact of your project?

The team observed significant reduction in the amount of food waste and fruits thrown away was reduced. Cleaner plates were also observed as students managed to finish all their food. The team was also successful in making compost using food waste and it was used for the school garden.

How many people were impacted by your solution(s)?

160

What did the impacted people have to say about your project? Provide 2 quotes or testimonials:

(1) I have learnt not to waste food because even a little bit of food waste is a lot. I will ask for what I need so I do not need to waste food. - Zhen Ning (5B) (2) I have learnt that food waste can be recycled into compost, however, we still should not waste food. - Jeneth Png (5A)

What challenges did you encounter while implementing your project, and how did you overcome them?

(1) The team could only implement the project at P5 level due to Covid19 situation. (2) Time constraints due to catching up with curriculum after school and project timeline was tight due to submission deadline.

How long did it take to implement your solution?

7-15 Days

Which global goals does your story align with?

Responsible consumption and production

Please explain briefly why do you think so?

Consumption and production have a considerable impact on our environment, for instance, climate change and affecting biodiversity. Higher levels of consumption and hence higher levels of production will result in greater inputs of energy and resources, therefore leading to greater amount of waste produced. This could then cause harm to our environment in the long run, Some of the food produced end up in the bins due to wastage. As such, the natural resources used to produce and supply food will be wasted as well, causing a negative impact on the environment such as wastage of water and land use. Besides, the food sector makes up about 30% of the world’s total energy consumption and about 22% of total greenhouse gas emissions. When people waste food, we are causing harm to our planet. Through this project, we emphasize the importance of reducing food waste to contribute to environmental sustainability. In addition, being thoughtful about what we order whenever possible can help to reduce consumption and prevent throwing of food away.

Step 4 SHARE

How did you share your project with your school and community? Who did you share your project with? What was their response?

The team shared with the School Leaders and Canteen vendors through face-to-face interaction with safety measures in place. The team shared the project with the P5 level through Google Meet during in-class assembly. The team also learnt from the school gardener on how to better make the compost. School leaders provided meaningful feedback and canteen vendors took the team's suggestion and implement students' preference of fruit choice. The P5 students took the project seriously and actively sort the food waste correctly during recess. The school gardener was very interested in the project and even shared how to use natural resources like dead plants to make compost and also tips on how to manage food waste as compost.

Approximately how many people did you share your story of change with?

More than 100

Briefly share your plan to sustain the impact of your project?

The team had designed a compost corner as part of their project to educate the whole school. The team would like to share their results and educate the whole school on how to reduce food waste.

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