milks, apples, oranges, etc.) In the U.S., up to 40% of all food produced goes uneaten [2], and about 95% of discarded food ends up in landfills [3]. On the list of food waste contributors, K-12 schools fall far below restaurants and grocery stores. And in Hawai'i, the Kokua Hawai'i Foundation's . Common sense measures such as auditing meal programs, modifying menus, redistributing uneaten items, and composting and recycling leftovers can help reduce cafeteria food waste and lessen the impact of schools on the environment. 10 Involve kids with community giving. At Chesterbrook Elementary School in McClean, VA, every student learns how to separate waste into categories like recyclables, food to be donated, upcycling bins , and general trash. K-5 Slideshow. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that over one-third of food produced is being wasted annually, which equates to 133 billion pounds and USD 161 billion [1,2].In 2012, food waste contained an estimated 1217 calories and 33 g of protein per capita per day and many vital nutrients such as dietary . Avoid food waste Displayposters covering the informationof "Food Wise HongKong" in schools to promote food waste reduction. Introduction. ReFed. Here are 17 ways to reduce your plastic waste: Stop using plastic straws, even in restaurants. By using interactive functions (sorting, searching and/or filtering . The . Further, we taught them how to apply the 3Rs to help reduce food waste at home and school. Though it happens worldwide, the U.S. restaurant industry alone generates approximately 22 to 33B pounds of waste every year. The Iowa Waste Reduction Center's K-12 audits and training, and the Environmental Research and Education Foundation's SCrAP program, provide critical tools to reduce food waste. Abstract. These solutions enable pre-ordering to support better food choices in schools, whilst accurately recording previous food choices to help identify seasonal fluctuations. This program provides schools with tools and resources to "build a lunchroom environment that makes healthy food the easy choice" and that reduces waste. Awareness of the issue is half the battle. Offer pre-packaged salads or a salad bar. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, roughly 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. ends up tossed in the garbage. Designed for K-5 and 6-12. Compare this to schools, hotels and hospitals, which output around 7 to 11B annually, and you'll begin to realize what a significant problem restaurant food waste has become. In Arkansas, Washington Elementary School found success when students led a food plate waste audit. Bring the Problem Home. Our K-12 Food Rescue program has led to over 350 cafeterias to implementing food recovery, share table, or other food waste solutions simply by raising awareness, and often connecting that school with a local caring agency like a food pantry that will make regularly scheduled pick-ups. Smaller schools will likely not be subject to the ban. There are a number of different strategies schools can use for reducing food waste: Identify the main source of the waste by conducting a food waste audit. 1. The fifth step is composting the wasted food, and the final step is incineration or sending the food to the landfill. Math to create graphs about the school's food waste; science to study how food rots in landfills, and to earn about the cycle of seeds from plants to compost. Food waste costs schools and colleges around 250m per year. 15 Reduce snacking before meals. districts can reduce waste 40 - 60% by implementing policies that reduce the amount of uneaten food, reduce or eliminate disposables, address food prep waste and packaging, and implement recycling and composting. 2. Food waste numbers in schools are statistically high, often resulting in such a large amount that it's difficult to keep up with and even harder to comprehend. Use the different subjects in school to help teach students about food waste. Wasted food means a loss of natural resources used for growing, processing, packing, transporting, and marketing as well. The university also powers a VegaWatt cogeneration system with unused frying oil. 2) Don't be prejudiced. Based on the questionnaires of 9192 students, we found 74% of them have generated plate waste in university canteens and food waste amounted to 61.03 g per student per meal, of . This ensures that you have everything you'll need and that the food you buy will be used. At the dining hall's exit, they collected nearly 50 pounds of uneaten food in just one hour. Accurate, dynamic stock management through Saffron also reduces the risk of perishable foods going to waste. Give up gum. This nonprofit uses "a data-driven approach" to offer information and solutions for reducing food waste at all levels. Improve education around how food waste contributes to our environment Pupils deserve to understand why food waste is so important, and how they play a role in reducing this and stopping the broader impact on the environment. 3. Purchase food, like cereal, pasta, and rice from bulk bins and fill a reusable bag or container. Use the different subjects in school to help teach students about food waste. But smart thinking could reduce the rubbish and needless spending. Supply equipment for recycling and composting. "If they really like something or are still hungry, they can always go back for seconds.". Clear signage in cafeterias is key for maximizing food waste audit success. In 2019, World Wildlife Fund researched and found that food waste in schools across America was estimated at 530,000 tons per year, not including the waste of milk annually. Nick Morrison reveals some recipes for success All you need is (at least) one garbage bin for each waste . Adding a share table is a fantastic way to reduce food waste in K-12 cafeterias. Extending the lunch period can improve dietary intake and reduce food waste. MassDEP and RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts have evaluated past waste audits at Massachusetts schools and determined that on average, schools dispose approximately 0.5 lbs of food waste per student per week. Blend It Up. To reduce food waste and help address food insecurity, California requires that by 2025, 20% of . Related Resources. 1) Buy only what you need. This was the observation of one of the students who later discussed this issue with his classmates. Through a partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) Food Matters project, it was estimated that . The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) estimates that 22% of all solid waste in New Jersey consists of food waste.. Many schools are receptive to this change since it is often a simple switch that can lead to students making healthier choices. Food waste has become a major issue for restaurants in the United States. Besides, how can you reuse and reduce garbage at home and at school? For starters, the proportion sizes can be reduced. Shop smart. Use a reusable produce bag. 10. Rejected scrap make up most of the full garbage cans that schools struggle to deal with. This avoidable food waste accounts to 253,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year. 1. Additional Resources to Check Out: Food Waste Warriors (World Wildlife . That fact failed to intimidate a team of school children in the US state of Maryland, who've proven they can reduce food waste in their schools by 80% or more. This can significantly reduce food waste by increasing children's appetites and removing the incentive to rush through a meal to go play outside. There are three main challenges identified in efforts to reduce food waste in schools: Accommodating student taste preferences and unfamiliarity with menu items. Give up gum. 12. And yet, an estimated 26% of the average NSLP-participating school food budget ends up in the trash. The school's Eco Team, run by sixth graders, ensures their fellow students are putting waste into the correct bin. 14 Change your mindset around ugly produce. Use a reusable produce bag. A Guide to Conducting Student Food Waste Audits: A Resource for Schools. An effective way to reduce waste and recycle at school is to have a whole school approach, therefore building ownership amongst the school leadership team, the school . Smaller schools will likely not be subject to the ban. In New Jersey, Rutgers University-New Brunswick uses a Somat pulper system (shown) that "grinds up the food waste and squeezes out about 80% of the water.". Resources for Assessing Wasted Food; . Buy boxes instead of bottles. This means that a school with 4,000 students or more may be subject to the ban. 9 Involve kids with preserving. Also, don't buy in bulk if you aren't sure if you can finish all of the food . At the Store. Examine production and handling practices to prevent and reduce preparation waste. Implement Reduction Habits. To avoid wasting groceries, plan your meals ahead of time with your family and make a grocery list with the ingredients before you go shopping. Serve smaller portions of food on smaller dishes Most of us will fill up a plate to the edges in a buffet or cafeteria-style setting. For breakfast and break services, minimal choices can be served, such as a fruit. Schools can plan to provide a simple lunch, with one main meal, one vegetarian (or vegan) option and fruit or yoghurt for pudding. colleges and schools adds up to about 250 million pounds of extra cost each year and that the elimination of avoidable waste would reduce the cost of a school meal by 22 pence. An estimated 80,382 tonnes of food waste are produced by schools in the country annually. In the U.S., we each waste about a pound of food each day. Make a list and stick to it. Successful strategies for minimizing plate waste that help address . Food Waste in Schools and Strategies to Reduce It tip extension.sdstate.edu. Schools and universities generate about 562,442 tons of waste each year in California. Modify menus to increase customer satisfaction and prevent and reduce uneaten food. 4) First in, first out. Somat workers visit campus to pick up the pulp in 50-gallon barrels. WRAP estimates that education catering produces 123,000 tonnes of food waste each year, accounting for 13% of the total food waste across the UK Hospitality and Food Service sector. As a consequence, an increasing number of initiatives aim to reduce the food discarded in . Take the Next Step in Reducing School Food Waste Have student brainstorm ideas for spreading the word and getting families and community members on board with committing to finding ways to reduce food waste. No special equipment is required to imrpove current situation. Buy boxes instead of bottles. There's a lot happening behind the scenes at NC State Dining to reduce food waste before campus customers even have the opportunity to fill their plates. During the assessment, volunteer representatives from several community partners collected approximately 135 pounds of waste from students' trays in the cafeteria. Shaosheng Jin. . Of this waste, 63,099 tonnes are avoidable. The School Cafeteria Discards Assessment Project (SCrAP) was developed by the Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF) - in collaboration with the School Nutrition Foundation and Keep America Beautiful - to quantify both food waste and related wastes (eg. Busy lives have led our society to choose convenience over conservation. Recess before lunch is considered a best practice and studies have shown that when recess is before lunch 40% less food is wasted and 54% more fruits and veggies are actually consumed.Recess before lunch can also lend itself to a more calm lunchroom environment. 8 Grow your own food and involve them. An easy, cost-free solution is to have recess before lunch. Creating a compost heap is one way to help reduce waste by turning even these scraps into nutrient-rich fertilizer. Blending up a nutrient-packed smoothie can be a delicious way to reduce food waste. For big schools and higher waste quantities, the suggested streams are six: a) food waste, b) paper & cardboard, c) metals, d) plastics, e) glass and f) rest/commingled waste. 13 Utilize outside resources. 11. . Offer more food selections. Food "waste" refers to food that is fit for consumption but consciously discarded at the retail or consumption phases. as afternoon snacks with other students. To learn about food waste in their own school cafeteria, students used measurements taken earlier in the week during a tray waste assessment to create visual representations of the data. These slideshows teach students about why food waste matters and what they can do to help reduce it. Math to create graphs about the school's food waste; science to study how food rots in landfills, and to earn about the cycle of seeds from plants to compost. Food. A full stomach creates an appetite for learning, so please let them eat. Schools: An average school wastes $1.2 billion worth of food every year. Helping students deal with early meal schedules and insufficient time to eat. This means that a school with 4,000 students or more may be subject to the ban. How can schools reduce food waste? Cafeteria Waste Audit The first step in reducing the amount of waste a school cafeteria produces is to conduct a waste audit of both Schools may adopt the tips accordingly: 1. The Toolkit's numerous case studies provide examples of these . Purchase food, like cereal, pasta, and rice from bulk bins and fill a reusable bag or container. Developing novel solutions to treat food waste Here are 17 ways to reduce your plastic waste: Stop using plastic straws, even in restaurants. For people who do not have a garden or space for a composter or compost heap,. This article describes activities of grade 5 students undertaken to reduce food waste at school as part of their PYP exhibition journey. Week 3: Pupils get skilled up In the 2nd and 3rd weeks we trained 10 upper primary pupils to conduct interview surveys of their peers. The third step is to feed animals followed by the fourth step of industrial uses. Reducing, reusing and recycling waste at school is good for the environment, enriches the curriculum, helps schools to become more sustainable and can result in money savings. Building on their success, they convinced their state government to pass a new law allocating $250,000 to expand Rotary's Lunch out of Landfills program to schools across the state. Additionally, it has been suggested that schools can reduce 40-60 % of waste by implementing policies that reduce the amount of uneaten food (26). This is especially important as SB 1383 implementation takes effect on January 1, 2022 and all levels of the community will need to be educated on appropriate organic waste recycling, edible food recovery, reduction, and diversion. You may literally be throwing away millions of dollars!