Turning fruit peels into utensils: Hong Kong students to showcase food waste solution at InnoCarnival 2022
- Form Six students came up with idea to turn fruit peels into roasted kombucha straws and cups after learning about city’s food waste
- Trio to present work at InnoCarnival 2022, expected to be held from October 22 to 30
Three Hong Kong students have landed a spot at an event showcasing local inventions for their solution to food waste, which involves turning fruit peels into edible cups and straws.
Form Six students Kwan Ho-ting, Tang Kai-yeung and Ho Cheuk on Wednesday said they came up with the idea to turn fruit peels into roasted kombucha straws and cups after learning how much food waste was created in the city on a daily basis.
“Food waste is everywhere, especially in the local wet markets. Some fruits are simply thrown away just because they don’t look perfect,” Kwan said. “Fruit peels can actually be a raw material to make kombucha”.
The trio will present their work at the InnoCarnival 2022, expected to be held from October 22 to 30 at the Hong Kong Science Park.
In 2020, about 10,809 tonnes of municipal solid waste was disposed of daily at landfills, of which 30 per cent was food waste, according to the Environmental Protection Department.
While working in their school’s laboratory for two years, the team discovered that kombucha membranes extracted from brewing fruit peels in a sugar solution were edible and biodegradable, Ho said.
Roasting the kombucha at 120 degrees Celsius (248 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes improved its tensile strength and waterproofness, allowing it to be turned into utensils, he said.
