Will you use insect repellent made from durian husks? | EP 5

action for some time now. Nike for instance, as a range of shoes made completely out of scrap material, but California based green toys makes all of its toys out of recycled plastic as more people become aware of and begin to use more sustainable products. The business of turning trash into treasure is only set to grow. Today. I'm speaking to two women who run a startup that turns cashew waste. Yes, Cashew actually produce waste into nontoxic disinfectants.

Any innovations is where did Egan Debbie Krishna work on cracking challenges that bother them? Like how to reduce toxic chemicals used in consumer products. Congratulations! Because we had some tough competition. This all women group was also the winner of CNN's Green Plant Hackathon, which took place in April this year. That was how excited they were at their win. Netting them the top prize of $10,000. So who are these young entrepreneurs that started this business in the middle of

a pandemic? What motivates them and can a sustainable nontoxic product make money in the marketplace so much to talk about De de Debbie, Welcome to Climate conversations and congratulations on winning the contest. Great to have you your boat. Hi, Hello, didi, I want to start with you first for listeners who may not have caught the Hackathon, could you start off by sharing with us a bit about your winning

sustainability solution? Why focus on addressing food waste? So for this green plant hackathon, we were trying to tackle pest control problems in Singapore. Using the all natural approach as we know that chemical passage sites tends to leave residues and they are not food safe or child friendly. So with these presence of harmful pesticides, residues in food

that has caused a huge concerns in the consumers. So we're trying to use food waste and design an all natural bug repellent that could actually be safe on baby skin As well and also used in food processing areas. So the whole idea was trying to turn food waste and this time we decided to choose to be in, wow. But let's start with cashew nuts here. That you had a moment of inspiration while having drinks and nibbling on some nuts one day, could you tell us about that started in 2000 and

20 during the pandemic? We're just locked down in the home with my aunt and we were like, hey, everyone's using alcohol disinfectant and it's so toxic for the skin and I have two kids that I actually have really bad Exuma, especially my baby girl. So I think once they're in the market that really can replace chemical disinfectant or chemical hand sanitizer And we were eating nuts. And then one of my good friends was like hey and maybe we can use

these nuts and turn them into something. So we kind of just tested a whole range of things. We tried managing pills to grape seeds, a whole range of whatever ways that we could find. And We not only use casual waste but also soybean waste and also crab shell extracts to make into all natural antimicrobial compound that's called VK nine. So let's go back to jury. And I must admit I mean I'm not a huge fan but Debbie, how does it work? I mean who came up with that idea of?

We were just thinking about coming up with some sustainable ideas and then durian is a fruit that singaporeans love very much and then lots of waste also gets piled up. So when we were researching we found that it has lots of politics, kennels and flavonoids inside which we could like use for best repellent properties. So we tried a plan to extract it out and try it out at the hackathon. Right so didi you said they're natural they're safe and even edible. That's what I hear. I mean can

it still kill viruses as well as normal disinfectants. We have actually been certified by Sgs that it's actually food context safe and 100% edible. Our VK 99 technology has been proved to inactivate a whole range of bacteria including the SARS cov two virus not only instantly but continuously for 100 and 80 days. So it has a self sanitizing property meaning that you know when you use a normal disinfectant in the market, when you spray within 30 seconds there is no more effect.

We were trying to create something that's more sustainable because we don't want to be cleaning every day with the carbon footprint. Right? So we decided to try to create a compound that has self sanitizing property so it will self clean itself continuously even with just

One spray. Oh that's fascinating. So any idea how much not waste you've up cycled in the past two years since you develop these products we have up cycled up to two tons of Nut ways and we are looking to vala rise up to 15 tons of food waste in general this year that's our mission of our company. And I noticed that both of you have science background.

I mean you're both science heavyweights. D d you studied biomedical science and Debbie, you are the post graduate student in bio technology which means you could have gone into any established field. You know made some good money while at it. And in fact dede You left your job as a managing director of the textile mill in Malaysia. What galvanized you to venture off and found any innovations I think in my past experience in the dying meals there are so much waste that goes into the rivers.

And I was thinking what can we do play a little part to make the planet a little bit more sustainable and I decided to try to turn food waste into something that's useful. And Debbie, what about you? Why sustainability? Was there a moment or event that really influenced you? My master's degree? I did a project where utilized the phytochemicals in the plant to create some bacteria inhibiting compounds.

So it has always been vaccinating to exploit the natural agents in the plants and in the nature that we can always exploit and then utilize to our advantage. So I've always found a sense of fulfillment in doing that. And then while at enemy we utilize cashier waste and durian waste and extract all the phytochemicals in them and utilize it for a good purpose. So it's very interesting to me to research about that and then make it into a valuable product like a match made in heaven.

In my past experience. Also, I've been always innovation and trying to make new things. So I thought, why not just embark a new journey since there was a Covid and with the products that we are envisioned at that point of time, I would say envision we want to make something happen and why not just try during the Covid? I guess in a way, pandemic has created some inspiration and for your products and Debbie,

you've been with the company since its inception. I'm sure building a startup in the midst of the pandemic must have been quite hard. Looking back over the last two years, what would you find most challenging? Initially we started off in a very small lab, we had to like start off from scratch and then right now we are about to start off a new R and D lab and we have a lot of equipments. So looking back now, I feel very proud, like we've come a long way. How about you any challenges?

I think there are many, many challenges. One of the biggest challenge I think we face as a team was, you know, food waste is not a nice color, right? So with cashew and soybean the color that when we synergistically make into a compound, it's a really dark brown. Would you lose a black, almost black hand sanitizer? Um If you made it

so hard work has actually paid off. So when we look at the state of sustainability in Singapore and globally up cycling, let's talk about that is a relatively recent term, right? And it's been fascinating to see a number of economically viable up cycle and sustainable products currently on the market. I know your products, the masks and C. Two plus disinfectant are currently sold online and offline. So d are you making money? Does it make business sense?

Um Yeah, I think so, because we have to price it right. I think with sustainability products you have to make sure that it's not overly priced for consumers to make that switch. So for dimas it's a medical grade

and 95 mask that's reusable 30 times. So marketing it in 1990 so the price is affordable for people and the comfort, I think the comfort and the extent of the protection that you will give because in 2020 everyone was only wearing surgical masks and n 95 months were actually overly priced one and 95 months was going like $6 and you're only about to use it once. So we price something that is sustainable and there's a long term of use and there's extra protection. So when you wear n 95

months there's only the filtration protection, right? But we? Ve must we have the additional antiviral layer that will inactivate the bacteria and virus on top of filtering the virus. So it gives extra protection. I wonder are there enough consumers demands out there to make up for the cost and efforts you've put in in developing these products? Um I think in the first year we paid a lot for R. And D. And that's something that it will have to

recuperate over time. But with our new products I think it makes business sense. And Debbie, what do you think is the incentive for consumers to turn to sustainable options like this? In the post pandemic era, people would definitely look for solutions that are sustainable because even the United Nations is like enlightening people to go for sustainable products. Even Singapore is like pushing all the companies to trace the carbon

food brains. So I think as a whole, the world is moving towards purchasing more sustainable products and going for sustainable options variable possible and any is a med tech company, understand how much do you think science and technology will play coming up with solutions for the future, not just to make these eco friendly and sustainable products but also in a larger climate change challenges. I think science in the R. And D. Is a key

component to play in making our planet more sustainable. There are so many alternative fuels that are in the making now than just cold. So I think it definitely will play a big part. So all of you should just go and study more science and we can make a planet more sustainable place. Yeah, I mean bio plastics, bio fuels, all of them are like coming up and everyone is looking forward to using them. R and D. It's like the key component

of taking the world to the next level. You two are still very, very young um unlike me, but you know, you have kids, do you think younger people, the next generation, would they be interested in this space? What young generation people are looking for now is also work life balance and more flexibility at work. And if the sector can grow and give what this generation of people needs and feel their passion into having their ideas hurt. That will really help them to be interested in science

as well. I think the company culture is also important. So what kind of company culture do you have? Maybe you can share with us? We are very flexible in our company. We don't have like a 9 to 6 kind of working arrangement. Everyone can work from home from the office. I think the key is we have

a lot of interns, it's a small startup. We don't have many food timers but we have a huge range of interns from Polly's to universities and I think they have amazing ideas if you're ready to hear them out and give them tasks and let their imagination go well. I think they can give you a lot more than what you expect looking ahead. Are you taking aim at any other forms of organic waste that we might be familiar with when we up cycle something, it's not about just taking a certain part of it,

but we want to upset the entire durian husk. So Uh I will say up to almost 90% of it. So we will not just be using part of it for the insect repellent. We will extract sellers from the jury in hearts and make them into sustainable wipes in the market at the moment, most of the sustainable whites are made from bamboo. So we are trying to come up with a durian based wipes. So it's 100% biodegradable. No, no, no, definitely not. It'll be processed because I see so much food waste

around us all the time. I wonder if this could be the new frontier when it comes to developing new and innovative solution for a greener world. What do you think? Davey. Yeah, definitely. Yes, because even for the durian project we have a plan to install durian collection stations around Singapore. So that will be like a practical solution so people can just throw away the durian waste and then we'll utilize that to

make the whites. So I think such practical solutions should come into existence more and I'm sure there are listeners out there and maybe in the future entrepreneurs in this space, any advice, I know you guys are just started out, but any tips. I think the key is to really focus on what is the mission and vision that you built the company and do not deviate it because of any other reasons.

The journey will be tough, but you always have to stay motivated and remember what was the mission that you wanted? What kept your motive? I'm sure there are days, you just want to forget it. Going back to Malaysia. I think what keeps me motivated is my kids, I have two kids actually the company's name after the kids. So Netanyahu and Emma and is turning 10 and Emma is 25, so I think my kids are my motivation to make so we're a little bit more sustainable so that they

get a better life when I'm not here. And yeah, I think it's the fulfillment at the end of the day that you're doing something useful for people around as well as for the world. Yeah, that sense of fulfillment. So if you could change one thing about the state of the world today and then especially when it comes to sustainable solutions, what would it be and why I think it's the amount of plastics that we really use and really learn how to eat less and not

over order. We actually have 744 million of food waste thrown away each year in Singapore. And I think that's a huge amount. If everyone can play a small little part to just order a little bit less, bring your own takeaway box to the Hawkins Center. I think that will really help people should now focus more on minimalism, like not by all the things and then pile them up, even clothes. It's the need of the art that we all focus on buying what's necessary and not like wasting things. Great

message to end on. And one thing I learned today is never judge a food by its cover. Thank you very much, ladies for coming in today and best of luck and a great work you do. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks to my guests d d gone and Debbie Krishna of any any innovations and thanks to all of you for tuning in. We hope you enjoyed this episode and do remember to subscribe and like this podcast. So, you know, when a new episode drops, you can find CNN's climate and sustainability coverage online at

CNN dot asia. The team behind this podcast is opening Danieli and Christina robert and I'm julie you signing off