Pinelands High School matrics Adam Gibbon and Christopher Collier-Reed are off to China, where they will be representing South Africa at the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition, thanks to their waste-innovation project.
Cape Town, South Africa (26 March 2025) — Two matric learners from Pinelands High School in Cape Town are jetting off to make South Africa proud at a prestigious science competition in China. This is thanks to a clever project devised by the two who took an innovative approach to food waste.
Adam Gibbon and Christopher Collier-Reed are representing both their school and their country at the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition (BYSCC) this week—a huge deal hosted by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
A reflection of Pinelands High School’s status as The Most Sustainable School in South Africa (the school recently won this title following years of hard work and dedication to environmentally positive efforts), Adam and Christopher’s selection was to do with a stellar take on sustainable solutions.
Adam and Christopher teamed up to create project ‘Flies to the Rescue: Innovating Food Waste Management Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae’, which made waves in the science scene for all the right reasons.
At the Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF), the duo lent clever thinking to food waste by using Black Soldier Fly larvae to help organic waste decompose. The kicker? While the waste decomposed, it was also able to leave behind ‘valuable by-products’, as noted by their school. Not only is their work said to be great for the planet through an eco-positive return on organic waste, but it also has the potential to boost the green economy.
“Their research demonstrates a scalable and eco-friendly solution that can be applied in both small-scale urban settings and large-scale industrial waste management operations,” Pinelands High shared.
The two won gold medals for their efforts at the ISF.
The BYSCC is set to take place from 26-30 March, and the pair will be joined by other young South African innovators, including Samiya Waze (Umtata High School), Cady De Koker (Hoërskool Noord Kaap) and Sagwadi Maluleke (Delegation Leader).
“At Pinelands High School, we are exceptionally proud of Adam and Christopher’s dedication and passion for science. Their success serves as an inspiration to their peers, reinforcing the importance of STEM education and encouraging younger students to pursue scientific excellence.”—Pinelands High School.
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