Led by Jung Choi Yoon, a Virginia Tech assistant professor of industrial design, the kit offers an outlet for the 90 billion lbs of food waste US schools generate every year.
“Nearly 50 percent of the food wasted in US schools consists of fruits and vegetables,” Yoon’s team. “Instead of treating these scraps as trash, we saw them as an untapped source of natural pigments.”
The kit is comprised of bins to sort the waste by desired color. The bins are heated and the waste sieved before being atomized. Gum Arabic is then used to thicken the liquid into a watercolor-like paints.
“As we continue to refine and expand this program, we envision it reaching more schools, communities, and educators, inspiring creative approaches to sustainability beyond the art classroom,” said Yoon’s team. “By blending design, science, and education, this initiative empowers students to be active participants in shaping a more circular, resourceful future.”