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Rosie Chan employs black soldier fly larvae along with advanced automation to convert food waste into fertilizer for schools, farms, residential areas, and companies.

Hong Kong-based designer and entrepreneur Rosie Chan Man-wai has created a recycling method that employs black soldier fly larvae along with intelligent automation to convert food waste into fertilizer and protein for schools, farms, residential areas, and companies.

The breakthrough has secured her a position as a finalist in this year’sAwards of the Hong Kong Spirit in the innovation category.

The breakthrough is not solely in the biological aspects, but rather in the approach taken towards the system’s design.

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The devices are designed to be stacked, modular, and adaptable, initially constructed from recycled shipping pallets and perfectly suited for Hong Kong’s limited urban space.

I desired the system to be versatile and capable of adjustment,” she explained. “A school can implement a manually operated version, allowing students to grasp the procedure, whereas a hotel requires a fully automated system to reduce expenses and labor. That is our advantage.

However, when Chan first presented her prototype for a food waste recycling system, critics questioned why a designer was constructing machinery.

Her creativity, starting as a senior project, has evolved into JAPJAP Zero Waste, an award-winning company with a patent-pending modular AIoT bio-recycling system.

Black soldier fly larvae eat food waste and convert it into a nutrient-dense by-product called frass. After being gathered and dried, this material turns into an organic fertilizer containing high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

The newest iteration of the innovation includes IoT (Internet of Things) dashboards, real-time tracking, machine learning algorithms to enhance larval activity, and remote management options for educational institutions and companies.

In reality, this implies that a school can dispose of excess food by shredding it, use the remnants to nourish larvae, and in a matter of weeks, collect fertilizer for rooftop gardens or raise larvae to feed koi fish, birds, and reptiles.

People believe it’s focused on technology,” Chan remarked. “However, the true breakthrough lies in ensuring it is intuitive enough for children to use, trusted by educators, and advantageous for farmers. If users aren’t involved, the system won’t succeed.

Her methodology showcases her background in design. “Engineers typically concentrate solely on functionality. However, as a designer, I consider how individuals interact with it—what they perceive, feel, and even smell.”

That is why our observation boxes are designed like jewelry cases, allowing individuals who may be scared of insects to still observe the process safely. It turns into an informative experience.

This blend of design, biology, and artificial intelligence has taken JAPJAP from educational settings to major conference platforms.

In 2025, Chan secured six significant awards, winning first position in both the Hong Kong and Asia-Pacific stages of the JCIHK Creative Young Entrepreneur contest. She was also asked to speak at the Chinachem Sustainability Conference.

Chan mentioned that JAPJAP’s achievements would not have been possible without the support of numerous backers and collaborating organizations.

These encompass the Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, the Recycling Fund, Link Reit, Chinachem Group, and non-governmental organizations like the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.

Her group is working on a prototype for an entirely automated system designed for commercial kitchens, allowing hotels and catering companies to manage waste locally with very little staff involvement.

The plan features pilot initiatives in residential areas and shopping centers in 2026, hospitality experiments during 2026-27, and a move towards the Greater Bay Area and Southeast Asia.

The Hong Kong Spirit Awards are jointly organised by the Post and the Sino Group to honor the city’s hidden heroes who make a difference in the community or motivate others through their personal triumphs.

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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.

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