Learning Journey to Eco-Wiz’s Food Recycling Pilot System

160 Secondary 1 students from Punggol Secondary School went on a learning journey facilitated by their industry partner Eco-Wiz (SG) Pte Ltd on 26 May 2016. The learning journey was to complement the school’s STEM ALP on Waste Management by getting students to see how food waste can be reduced to water using Eco-Wiz’s Eco-Digester.

The programme started with a talk by Mr Zac Wee, Eco-Wiz’s Product Executive, on the global problem of food waste disposal and how this could be solved using recycling technologies, such as their Eco-Digester. The Eco-Digester is a fascinating machine that makes use of grinding, microbial composting and filtration to process and effectively break down the food waste into recycled water. After the talk, it was time for games! Laughter, screams and cheers rang throughout the basketball court as students picked up fun facts about food waste recycling and key concepts of waste management through the fun and exciting activities designed by Eco-Wiz and STEM Inc staff.

The learning journey culminated with a trip to Ang Mo Kio 628 Market where the Eco-Digester system is being piloted as part of Singapore’s efforts to become a zero-waste nation under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015. At the market, Eco-Wiz staff brought groups of students through the workflow of the market’s food waste recycling system. They first met the hawkers and cleaners who demonstrated how to segregate food waste at the food preparation and post-meal leftovers levels. After that, the group was brought to the Eco-Digester where a few lucky individuals had a hand at operating the automated machine under Mr Wee’s guidance. It was evident that cooperation from all role players is fundamental for effective food waste recycling. Eco-Wiz is able to achieve this by streamlining the process for those involved – the hawkers, patrons, cleaners and technicians.

Overall, this learning journey presented a unique opportunity for our Singaporean youths to immerse themselves in the real world of STEM – how clever engineering can help reduce our food waste footprints.

Written By: Ng Xin Yi, Iris