Turning Food Waste into Sustainable Growth

A student-led circular waste initiative at Taylor's Residence.

What is REGrow?

REGrow was established at Taylor’s Residence to address a growing operational and environmental challenge: the high volume of food waste generated within a dense student residential community. With over 1,000 residents living on campus, a significant proportion of daily waste consists of organic food waste that would typically be sent to landfill.

A Circular Sustainability Initiative

The initiative reflects a circular sustainability philosophy. “RE” represents renewal, reuse and regeneration, while “Grow” symbolises new life and sustainable growth. Through REGrow, food waste that would otherwise be discarded is transformed into valuable resources that support environmental restoration and community livelihoods.

The initiative was designed with three key objectives:

Divert food waste from landfill through a practical circular waste management system
Empower residents to lead sustainability initiatives within the residential community
Translate global sustainability goals into practical everyday behaviours

REGrow introduced a structured food waste diversion system across apartment pantries, communal kitchens and utility areas through dedicated waste separation bins. Residents deposit food scraps such as fruit peels, vegetable trimmings and leftovers into these bins. The residence cleaning team conducts scheduled collection before handing the waste to the student-led REGrow team, who manage sorting, weighing and recording to track environmental impact.