Outcome of Pilot Installation of Food Waste Digesters in Schools

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what is the outcome of the pilot installation of food waste digesters in schools; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider installing such food waste digesters in more schools and other places, such as hawker centres and coffee shops, to promote recycling.

In April this year, the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the "Love Your Food @ Schools" Project to encourage schools to establish a culture of not wasting food. To complement this food waste reduction effort, NEA partnered 10 schools to pilot the use of food waste digesters, and to involve them in a range of activities, such as food waste segregation, educational talks on food waste, and learning journeys for neighbouring schools and community partners.

We have seen positive results in participating schools. For example, food waste has been reduced from 18 kilogrammes (kg) to less than 10 kg per day in Greendale Primary School, and from 24 kg to 18 kg per day in Admiralty Primary School. The pilot is expected to last two years. At the end of the pilot, we will evaluate the closed-loop food waste management programme and consider future plans for other schools.

My Ministry sees potential for greater use of food waste digesters. They could be deployed in hawker centres and coffee shops as the Member has suggested, or other premises, such as shopping malls. However, we recognise that there are economic and practical constraints, such as the cost of the digesters and availability of space. Currently, we are conducting a pilot at Block 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 Market to digest food waste generated by stallholders and patrons onsite. Under the contract for Public Waste Collection in the Pasir Ris-Bedok sector, onsite food waste treatment will be made available at two hawker centres – Block 58 New Upper Changi Road hawker centre and Block 16 Bedok South Road hawker centre. We will deploy food waste digesters at other hawker centres where suitable.

We hope to see more businesses implement food waste reduction initiatives and adopt onsite food waste treatment solutions. Businesses interested in installing onsite food waste digesters may also apply to the NEA's Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3R) Fund for support.