Food waste fighters

Three young learners wearing blue school uniform. One of them is holding scales with a black bag at the end of it.

Llanfoist Fawr Primary Monmouthshire

Tackling food waste in our canteen at lunchtimes. Tackling portions sizes, menu choices and waste.

What did you do and how did you involve the whole school?

It was apparent from talking to our Eco Committee and from our school action plan that food waste needed to be a priority. The catering staff were disappointed at the waste of food from pupils. It was decided that the Eco Committee would interview pupils, weigh the food waste over the course of a week to see where the food was most predominant. Food waste average for a week was 90kg. Parents were invited to undertake a survey into how we could address the food waste issue.

How and why did you decide on this target?

It has been an on-going issue in our school for a long time. Since the introduction of Free School Meals, more children are having a meal at lunchtime. Some lower phase pupils choose a jacket potato every day and the food waste from not eating the skins is a major issue. Our Eco Committee spoke to classes in turn to ask them what they would like to change about lunchtimes. They said they wanted different portion sizes for lower phase and upper phase. More choice and a better dining environment where you don’t have to queue for food, different food options and a closer eye on the salad bar.

How has the project impacted on your school and your community?

This is still on-going. We have now had a change of menu and pupils are still keen to compare the food waste to see if this has impacted. Upper phase pupils are now eating certain days of the week with lower phase pupils to instil good habits and better consumption of food. Through a whole class assembly, pupils are now widely aware that food waste is a problem that needs to be resolved. The canteen staff in school are very much on board with this and have been very supportive of our aims, as have the parental community.

How did you celebrate success and what are your next steps?

We are in the process of trying to change portion sizes which is a Welsh Government directive. So far, we have been in touch with our Local Authority to see if the catering managers can take this to the Welsh Government. Pupils are pleased that their worries are being voiced and our interest in changing our habits has been noted by the LA. We have been invited as a school to undertake a pilot to change the environment of lunch times ‘Improving the Dinner Room’.

I am pleased that the Eco Committee are trying to change how much food we waste as it was really scary to see how much we waste every day.
Tom C Pupil