Chen Ge (FOE), Justin Fidelis Wong Jun Wen (FOE), Tristan Tan Yong Cheun (FOE), Xie YuWen Cheryl (SDE)
Academic Advisor: Dr. Corinne Ong
Waste management has always been a challenge in Singapore due to lack of landfill space. The widespread usage of single-use packaging, especially when coupled with low recycling rates, is unsustainable. Our objective was to test the feasibility of a long-term zero-waste snack store in NUS, and measure its effectiveness at (i) reducing single-use packaging consumption and (ii) changing consumer attitudes toward packaging. We conducted a pre-survey to gather information about RVRC students’ consumption habits and snack preferences. Our store was then operated for 4 weeks in RVRC. It was unmanned, sold loose snacks sourced from zero-waste suppliers, and required customers to use their own containers at purchase. We then conducted a post-survey to measure if habits had changed over the duration. According to the data collected to-date, there was sustained interest and purchases throughout the project duration, suggesting our success in reducing packaging waste generation.