BIUM Challenge: High Schooler's Clean Plate Movement Sparks Nationwide Impact

Seoul, South Korea – The BIUM Challenge, a student-led sustainability campaign, tackles two major issues at once: food waste and childhood hunger. Launched in 2021 by high school student Julian Yoo and his brother while living in California, the campaign has grown rapidly, now with thousands of participants.

[Julian Yoo]

 
Under the slogan ‘No food waste, just empty plates’ participants share before-and-after photos of their meals on Instagram using the hashtags #비움챌린지 and #biumchallenge. The format is simple, but what makes it even more impactful is that it was entirely created and led by high school students.
 
In 2023 and 2024, Debbie Meyer Korea and the international NGO World Vision partnered with the BIUM Challenge to launch the joint campaign ‘My Emptiness, Your Fullness’ For every BIUM post, Debbie Meyer Korea pledged a donation of KRW 5,000. The campaign successfully funded and delivered 1,000 “Love Lunchboxes” to children in need.
 
This collaboration stands as a strong example of how a student-led initiative can evolve into a meaningful social contribution through partnerships with NGOs and businesses. Social media participation translated directly into real-world impact.
 

The campaign doesn’t stop there. Starting at BC Collegiate, where Julian currently attends, schools across Korea will join a relay-style BIUM Challenge. During lunch, students who finish their meals without leftovers can take a photo of their empty trays and receive an eco-friendly plant-based drink provided by Oatside, a sustainable beverage brand. The initiative encourages both mindful eating and student-led action.
 
Debbie Meyer Korea, deeply aligned with the project’s values, contributes through its GreenBag and GreenBox products, which help reduce household food waste by preserving freshness. These technologies reflect the company’s philosophy: “Save Money, Reduce Waste, Eat Fresh”
 
Julian Yoo said, “I wanted to show that one clean plate could become someone else’s meal. I also wanted to prove that even a student-led project can drive real change”
  

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