In the spirit of Residential College 4’s motto “Small Systems, Big Hearts”, a group of residents, faculty members, alumni and staff participated in a special 10th Anniversary Community Service Day on 6 September 2024. They partnered with other community volunteers to tackle the issue of food wastage through the initiative “RC4 Veggie Rescue” organised by Associate Professor Tan Lai Yong, in collaboration with SG Food Rescue.

SG Food Rescue is a ground-up initiative dedicated to collecting and redistributing unwanted food products to communities in need. While they have started off by developing programmes that allow participants to realise the sheer volume of food waste in Singapore, they are now focusing on gathering people who are passionate about reducing food waste, by collecting and redistributing surplus food.

Upon reaching Little India, Prof. Tan introduced the issue of food waste, specifically “ugly food” — produce that supermarkets and grocery stores often discard due to its misshapen or blemished appearance. Prof Tan emphasised that despite its “ugly” exterior, such food remains edible and equally nutritious as regular produce.

Prof. Tan introducing the issue of food waste with a coconut in hand.

Before starting the Veggie Rescue, Prof. Tan split participants into two groups. Equipped with boxes and trolleys and under the lead of the experienced SG Food Rescue volunteers, the RC4 participants approached various store owners to enquire if they had unwanted vegetables, before collecting and bringing them to the gathering point.

RC4 participants sorting vegetables.

Prof. Tan also took the opportunity to introduce participants to unique varieties of lemons and bananas that are rarely found in supermarkets outside of Little India.

Dr Tan introducing varieties of lemons and bananas that we do not usually see in supermarkets.

Once the vegetables were collected, participants gathered around to pack produce of the same type together. After sorting, they helped load the boxes of produce onto a volunteer driver’s lorry for redistribution to families in the Jurong East community. On days without available drivers, the food is donated to a nearby temple’s vegetarian restaurant instead.

Han Yan Chou, Don, a Year 1 student pursuing a Double Degree in Business and Communications and New Media, was one of the participants in the Veggie Rescue event. Reflecting on his experience, he said, "I had an enriching experience participating in the Veggie Rescue as I hadn't had the opportunity to be part of such initiatives in the past. We were able to get an insight to how much food is wasted in Singapore daily, and it triggers all of us to reflect on what everyone can do to minimise food wastage. While the volunteers told us that the amount of food collected was lower than the typical amount, it was an encouraging sign as this signified that not much food was being wasted."

In conclusion, the RC4 Veggie Rescue event not only provided participants with a hands-on experience of reducing food waste but also fostered the spirit of community service and sustainability. By coming together to tackle food wastage, the participants demonstrated the power of small actions in making a big impact, reflecting Residential College 4’s motto of “Small Systems, Big Hearts.”