Winner of the #ForOurPlanet Award
Malaysia: Student-led circular economy project using insects to drive inclusive education
What if the fight against food waste started with a maggot – and grew into a global solution?
At Sekolah Indonesia Kota Kinabalu (SIKK) in Malaysia, students are tackling food waste and promoting the circular economy through an innovative use of the black soldier fly (BSF). This award-winning project transforms cafeteria waste into regenerative compost, protein-rich animal feed, and inclusive climate education and knowledge.
“The black soldier fly is like a machine soldier: it works fast, eats everything and transforms 5 kg of food waste in under one hour.”
– Susmin Ito, Project Field Leader
The European Training Foundation (ETF) and the European Commission, together with the European External Action Service (EEAS), are delighted to announce this initiative as the winner of the #ForOurPlanet Award 2025 for excellence in circular economy education. Read on to find out why.
The project
Students at the Sekolah Indonesia Kota Kinabalu (SIKK) school in Malaysia take the lead in this award-winning circular economy education project. By combining traditional and cultural knowledge with innovative sustainability practices, they're tackling today's environmental challenges with scalable, real-world solutions.
Alignment with circular economy principles
- Converts school food waste into compost and animal feed using BSF larvae
- Reuses organic waste from the culinary classroom and canteen
- Integrates vegetable growing and fish farming into a closed-loop system
- Reduces methane emissions by intercepting food waste before it reaches landfill
“We go way beyond 'reduce, reuse, recycle'. We regenerate and redesign our habits.”
– Project Reflection Journal, SIKK
Inspiration through action
- Students study BSF biology, climate science and circular economy in an interdisciplinary, hands-on format
- Reflection journals show real shifts: “I want to be an environmental expert now,” wrote one student
- Behavioural change is visible—plastic use has plummeted, composting is routine and students are becoming change agents at home
- Abandoned land on the school grounds was turned into a school garden micro-laboratory, where students learn about healthy soil and biodiversity
“Students don’t just learn climate theory. They live it!”
– Dede Kurniawan, Project Designer and Supervisor
Local impact and scaling potential
- Began with 10 students; now embedded in school culture
- Piloted in 20+ community learning centres (CLCs) across Sabah
- Potential reach: 235 CLCs and over 27,000 migrant children
- Already providing fish and vegetables to the school canteen, grown from school-made compost
- The project is scalable and easily replicable in any setting where food is prepared or served, including schools, hospitals, restaurants and even homes.
“This award will change the entire region. Our teachers come from all over Malaysia, as well as Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Java, and Sumatra, to learn about our project. They will take these lessons with them. The project has also attracted local businesses and the local government to learn how to combat food waste with the help of the BSF.”
– Dede Kurniawan, Project Designer and Supervisor
How does it work?
- Maggots consume up to 5 kg of food waste in under one hour
- By converting waste before it starts to decompose, methane is prevented from being released into the atmosphere
- Maggots become animal feed; pupae produce more BSF
- Students run experiments, track data and learn through analysing results
“Our students are not just memorising, they’re investigating! They understand how food waste links to climate change, and they’re doing something about it.”
– Dede Kurniawan, Project Designer and Supervisor
More than compost: Empowering students and communities through environmental education
This project is more than compost and data. It’s also a story of empowering undocumented students living in palm oil plantations, re-engaging parents who once pulled their children out of school, and inspiring teachers to become role models in underserved regions.
“My parents are Indigenous people. I was born in the middle of the forest in Indonesia. Now my dream is to create a new model of outdoor environmental education, one that supports sustainable development through multidisciplinary approaches.”
– Dede Kurniawan, Project Designer and Supervisor
A circular learning ecosystem that keeps on giving
At SIKK, a circular learning ecosystem turns compost into garden fertiliser, maggots into fish feed and aquaponics into school lunches. Students use apps and AI to track progress and develop new experiments, while parents begin to view education not as a luxury but as a pathway to a sustainable future. This award-winning project shows how green skills, technology and traditional practices can transform communities from the ground up.
Dede and his team are scaling the programme to all 235 learning centres in Sabah and Sarawak, using behavioural science and micro-grants to support local adoption.
“We used to measure success by test scores. Now I measure it by behaviour, because that’s what changes the world.”
– Dede Kurniawan, Project Designer and Supervisor
“We encourage educators everywhere to promote ecological literacy. Engage students with their hands, not just their heads! If they understand the real-world problems, they’ll be ready to face the real-world future.”
– Sahyuddin, S.Pd., MA TESOL, Project Leader and School Principal
