Singapore is exposed to the volatilities of global food market as 90% of its food supply is imported. In order to grow more local produce, we need more lands that are suitable for agricultural purposes. With land scarcity as one of Singapore’s problem, most lands are used for housings and accessibilities, making it harder to find land for agricultural purposes which leads to higher farming costs, reliance on foreign nations as well as faces threat to food security.

Food waste is inevitably everywhere.. instead of fully resolving the root cause of food waste, how can we use innovation to create a way to minimise its prevailing impacts, with a solution that’s both environmentally and economically-friendly.

“Plastic will be the main ingredient of all our grandchildren’s recipes”, Anthony T. Hincks. Indonesia is the second largest producer of plastic and food waste in the world. Plastic enters the seawater when there is improper disposal, polluting it, and affecting aquatic ecosystems. People consume water and food from these waters, affecting their health. A lot of energy is required to remove plastic from these water bodies.

Food waste is the one of the biggest waste streams in Singapore. The amount of food waste generated in Singapore has augmented by about 40 per cent over the past decade. This is a missed opportunity to improve Singapore’s food security and also mitigate environmental impacts. We offer a two-pronged approach to tackle food wastage in Singapore which reduces food wastage and process necessary wastage for alternative use.

Studies have shown on average, people could be ingesting up to 5g of plastics every week – equivalent to a credit card, in the air they breathe, the food they consume and especially in the water they drink. Urgent action at all levels was needed to tackle this crisis at a worldwide scale: “Microplastics in the water we drink”.

Registration
Register here to participate and indicate your preferred date(s) for the NXplorers workshop by 10 Jan 2020.

Submission 
All participants are required to submit your entry by 13 Mar 2020. (Submission link to be advised soon).

Timeline

The timeline for this competition is provided below for reference:

Details of the Competition: 

• Open to all Secondary School students studying in Singapore.
• Each team must consist of 3 to 5 students to participate.
• Each student can only be a member of one team.
• Interested applicants must successfully complete the online registration by 10 Jan 2020 (2359 hrs) for their projects to be considered in the entry of the competition. Late online registrations will not be entertained.
• Educators from Science Centre Singapore have prepared NXplorers workshops for registered teams, where students will be guided through the ideation process for the competition.
• This workshop is compulsory in order to enter into the competition. Please indicate your preferred date(s) during registration.
• Each team will require to submit a completed entry and any supporting documents (optional) by 13 Mar 2019 (2359 hrs). Late online submission will not be entertained.
• Only one project can be submitted per team. Students that submit more than one project may be disqualified from the competition.
• The announcement of shortlisted teams will be contacted through email by 23 Mar 2020 (2359 hrs).
• Shortlisted teams are required to go on a learning journey on 3 Apr 2020 (details to be advised later).
• Shortlisted teams will go through another round of selection. The selection round involves pitching their ideas on 26 May 2020.
• A workshop on the use of advanced NXTools and 2D/3D workshop will be conducted for the finalist teams. Funding will also be given for prototyping, turning their ideas into reality. Finalist teams will each present their completed prototype at the Challenge Finals for the judges to review. The winning teams will be presented attractive prizes. 

Judging Criteria

WHAT IS NXPLORERS?

NXplorers is a proven, innovative education programme for young people aged 14 to 19. The programme introduces complex and creative thinking skills needed to become positive agents in the process of change and equips young people with the tools they need to apply them.

NXThinking

NXTools