Glenn Fong Wei Quan (BIZ), Le Ngoc Quynh Mai (SOC), Hang Zelin (SOC), Marcus Choo Qi Jun (SOC)
Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
The increasing global trend in the consumption of bubble tea has led to an increase in the waste generated from used tea leaves. Our project attempted to mitigate this issue of waste by reusing tea leaves to craft sustainable scented candles. Our preliminary survey of RVRC students found that 69% (n = 57) of respondents were receptive to using scented candles made from upcycled used tea leaves. We collected used tea leaves from bubble tea shops in NUS to make scented candles and invited 40 RVRC students to use and test them. We gathered comparative feedback about the candles through surveys, and also interviewed selected students. 88% participants gave positive feedback about using our scented candles, which lasted an average of 12 hours each. We conclude that upcycling used tea leaves into scented candles, instead of throwing them, is a possible alternative that minimises the environmental impact of tea leaves.