LAST year, Setia SPICE Convention Centre generated over 8.4 metric tonnes of food waste from 57 banquet events.
Traditionally, this would go to landfills and contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
This prompted a collaboration to turn food waste into sustainable resources.
An initiative at the convention centre brought together industry experts, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) academics and waste management firm Al Ansar Integrated Sdn Bhd to focus on converting food waste into useful by-products using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) technology.
The initiative follows earlier collaborations by USM and Al Ansar Integrated with Seberang Perai City Council and Ikea Batu Kawan on food waste management.
SP Setia Bhd divisional general manager Chan Ching Hiong said the collaboration marked a shift in how food waste was managed, moving from simple disposal to resource recovery.
Under the initiative, food waste from Setia SPICE is segregated, weighed and sent to USM for processing before being channelled to an Al Ansar facility, where it will be used to feed BSFL.
The larvae, harvested within 10 to 14 days, are then repurposed as livestock feed, while the residue serves as organic fertiliser.
Chan said two pilot deliveries had already been completed, processing over 319.5kg of waste and providing operational insights for scaling up.
He said the initiative incurred minimal cost, as Setia SPICE used its in-house lorry for transport to USM, instead of outsourcing haulage for landfill disposal.
USM deputy vice-chancellor (student development and alumni affairs) Prof Dr Wan Ahmad Jaafar Wan Yahaya said the collaboration reflected the university’s role as a bridge between research and real-world application.
He said the initiative supported scientific research while offering practical solutions to environmental challenges and opportunities for student involvement.
“The cooperation between university, industry and community is important in addressing social and environmental issues through innovation,” said Prof Wan Ahmad Jaafar.
Al Ansar Integrated operations manager Muhammad Muaz Ansaruddin said the partnership enabled the company to apply academic research in producing sustainable protein sources for the livestock industry.
He said the company currently operated a BSFL processing facility in Tasek Gelugor to handle Setia SPICE collection.
He added that the initiative could also create economic opportunities and jobs, while reducing dependence on conventional feed sources.
The collaboration was marked by a plaque presentation by SP Setia and tokens of appreciation from USM to its partners.
Also present during the event were Setia SPICE Convention Centre head Oh Kin Tat and USM School of Biological Sciences dean Assoc Prof Dr Amir Hamzah Ahmad Ghazali.
