The winning project, Green Practice, fights food waste and promotes the circular economy through an innovative use of insects. It is a student-led initiative launched by Sekolah Indonesia Kota Kinabalu (SIKK), Malaysia, transforming cafeteria waste into protein-rich animal feed while providing inclusive climate education.
“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
By combining traditional and cultural knowledge with innovative sustainability practices, the project is tackling environmental challenges with scalable, real-world solutions. Started with just 10 students, it has now been piloted in over 20 community learning centres across Sabah.
Projects were selected based on how closely they aligned with Circular Economy principles (reduce, reuse, recycle), their role in inspiring through action, and their local impact and scaling potential.
The second prize was awarded to a project in Türkiye converting waste into classroom tools, and third prize went to Phones Without Borders, a project in Greece working with asylum seekers to repair mobile phones.
The 2025 edition of #ForOurPlanet joined forces with the European Training Foundation’s Green Skills Award to launch this new category celebrating outstanding local projects driving progress in the Circular Economy.
Details
- Publication date
- 4 June 2025
- Author
- Directorate-General for Environment
