| dc.description.abstract | As part of the Youth Leadership for Climate
Action (YLCA) initiative, carried out by Biodiversity Sri
Lanka (BSL) and funded by the British Council, this study
aims to empower young leaders in climate action by
tackling the critical issue of food waste management. Our
community intervention involves creating an AI-led Smart
Food Waste Accelerator prototype. The first phase of our
study involved a baseline survey in the Dehiwala Municipal
Council region, employing a mixed-methods approach
using key informant interviews (KIIs) and structured
questionnaires to gather data from youths aged 18 to 29 on
their perspectives on food waste management.
A total of 567 responses were collected, revealing
significant concerns about the absence of proper food
waste disposal methods, with 91% of respondents
acknowledging it as a household issue. Alarmingly,
89.45% of participants indicated the lack of appropriate
disposal methods, with over 93% relying on local
government waste vehicles. Our findings showed an
average daily accumulation of 0.67 kg of food waste per
household, predominantly comprising meal leftovers.
Importantly, 89% of respondents expressed a willingness
to purchase the Smart Food Waste Accelerator for their
homes, and 96% were eager to understand its features and
market availability. The AI-driven solution in this
prototype exemplifies the potential for innovative
technology to transform food waste management,
promoting sustainability and reducing environmental
impact. | en_US |
