Waste not, want not: Learn how to grow your own edible garden using food waste at Lendlease malls

Ever wondered what you can do with morsels of leftover food, or kitchen scraps such as fruit peels and eggshells? What if - instead of chucking them into the bin - you could turn that food waste into nutrient-rich soil, and use it to grow a lush garden of edible plants?

That is exactly what Lendlease malls are encouraging with their third instalment of You Won't Believe It's Trash (Y.W.B.I.T), which involves a roving exhibition. This year's theme, Trash to Eden, shines a spotlight on urban farming.

In collaboration with retailers and urban farmer Stessen Chia, the roving exhibitions allow shoppers to learn about all the ways they can turn waste to wonder across the four Lendlease malls: Parkway Parade (July 11 - 21), Jem (July 25 - Aug 4), 313@somerset (Aug 8 - 18) and Paya Lebar Quarter (Aug 22 - Sept 1).

Step into Eden at Lendlease malls

Besides learning about ways to upcycle trash, shoppers will also have the chance to get hands-on at Eden Lab workshops. Organised by Stessen and Jolly Eco, you'll learn how to grow edible plants, craft all-natural floral wax tablets, and more.

We joined in on a session at Parkway Parade, where Stessen personally guided us through the process of planting our own edible greens from seeds and even gave us budding seedlings to take home. That's six plants to get us started on our own edible garden!

Do note that these workshops are exclusive to Lendlease Plus Members only. To join a workshop, members need to spend $30 nett in a single receipt and register their interest at the mall's concierge. If you are a PLQ Workplace app user, you only need to spend $20 in a single receipt to register for a workshop held in Paya Lebar Quarter.

Upon completing each workshop, you'll receive a $5 Lendlease E-Voucher and attractive retailer vouchers from participating stores.

As of press time, all the workshops happening at the Parkway Parade and Jem are fully booked. There are still slots available at the Paya Lebar Quarter exhibition, so hurry up and secure your spot!

For the full workshop schedule, click here.

Transforming waste to wonder

Ahead of the exhibition, we had a chat with Stessen about his urban farming journey and this special collaboration with Lendlease.

His interest in growing edible plants started four years ago. Besides doing online research and going for SkillsFuture classes, Stessen also spent some time volunteering at a commercial rooftop garden. Eventually, he came up with his own sustainable setup in the corridor outside his 4-room HDB flat that utilises DIY self-watering systems made from upcycled plastic containers (watch a tutorial by Stessen here).

Stessen shared that the sustainability aspect of his garden was important because he wanted to grow organic food with less waste while conserving natural resources, as well as give used plastics a second life.

"It also reduces my carbon footprint and ensures that I have access to fresh and organic food," he added.

Along the way, he realised that he was throwing away a lot of garden clippings and vegetable scraps. Not wanting to waste them, he began composting them instead to feed his growing garden (watch a tutorial by Stessen here).

"Compost contains beneficial microbes and a wide range of other minerals - depending on what you throw in there - that helps promote healthy plant growth," he said.

The proof is in the pudding, or rather, in The Garden - a zone at the Y.W.B.I.T roving exhibition. Here, you'll find edible plants such as kale, bok choy, spring onion and Thai basil, all lovingly grown by Stessen using soil enriched with food scraps.

"I hope to inspire others to adopt these sustainable practices," Stessen said.

Pledge to make a difference

It'll be hard to miss the stunning three-metre-tall interactive AI installation at the exhibition, aptly named the Heart of Eden. Here, shoppers are invited to make a pledge to go green and watch their vision of Eden come to life through AI.

Here's what to do:

1. Snap a photo at the installation
2. Answer four quick questions about your dream Eden and what you'd do to protect the planet
3. Watch as your AI-generated Eden springs to life!

Rewards for conscious shopping

At Lendlease malls, shopping and sustainability go hand in hand.

The Greenhouse section of the roving exhibition is where you can discover how your favourite brands - such as MUJI, Kiehl's, Uniqlo, Skechers, Jolly Eco, Innisfree, Sift & Pick and ChopValue - are embracing sustainability.

There's also the Eden Bazaar - happening at Parkway Parade, 313@somerset and Paya Lebar Quarter - where you can shop earth-friendly products made by local brands, such as zero-waste beauty products and naturally-dyed, plant-based clothing.

That's not all. You'll also find Open Wardrobe - an honour-system thrift store by circular fashion enterprise Cloop - at Parkway Parade and Paya Lebar Quarter. Here's how it works: pick up some pre-loved clothes, pay as you wish (minimum $10 per item via Google Pay or PayNow) , and remember to bring your own bags for your purchases!

Beyond the exhibition, Lendlease Plus Members can also look forward to rewards in the form of Lendlease Plus$ when they shop mindfully at Lendlease malls from now till Sept 1.

Here are five ways* to earn bonus Plus$:

*Terms and conditions apply. Click here to find out more.

Ready to embark on your sustainability journey and learn some urban farming tips? Head on down to your nearest Lendlease mall or visit the You Won't Believe It's Trash website here.

This article is brought to you in partnership with 313@somerset, Jem, Parkway Parade and Paya Lebar Quarter.

sophie.hong@asiaone.com