SJKC Foon Yew 2 Optimises Canteen Waste To Produce Compost

By Nur Fatin Mohmad Kadenen

JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 17 (Bernama) --Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Foon Yew 2, here, has taken the initiative to use food waste from its canteen to produce compost.

Sustainability Education Coordinator, Tan Soo Sin, said the compost is used to meet the school's gardening needs, thus reducing the cost of purchasing fertiliser, with the excess sold to the public.

She said the project is carried out with the help of students, particularly those in the school's Environmental Watch team.

"The idea for this project began in 2019, inspired by information about food waste management shared by the State Education Department.

“Initially, we used manual composting methods with bins, but it took a long time—between three months to half a year—for the waste to fully decompose. In 2020, we started using a composting machine to speed up the process," she told Bernama.

She said the composting machine, which accelerates the process to produce compost within 24 to 48 hours, was purchased with funds earned through the school's participation in the Iskandar Malaysia Ecolife Challenge (IMELC) in 2019, along with donations from parents and the community.

According to her, the machine can process around 150 kilograms of food waste collected from the school canteen per week and from food waste bins provided for students during recess.

She said the food waste must first be washed to remove the oil and salt, as well as Items that cannot be processed, such as bones, shells, hard seeds, and tough fruit skins, for better quality compost. 

"If there is too much oil or salt, it can harm the soil and prevent roots from growing properly. To manage this, we use sawdust to absorb the oil and add enzymes to further enrich the soil," said Tan, who has served at the school for 19 years.

She said students involved in the project also assist with sifting the matured compost before weighing and packaging it.

Tan said that a 700-gram pack of compost is sold for RM10, with an estimated 500 to 800 packs being sold each year.

She said the compost is sold during Parents' Day events at the school, which are held twice a year, as well as at exhibitions the school participate in.

"Most parents support the project because they notice the effectiveness of the compost. However, selling the fertiliser is not the school's main priority.

“Our focus is on using it for the plants around the school, as we prefer poison-free fertilisers. It also helps us save costs," she said.

 -- BERNAMA