School Food Waste

A few years ago WRAP estimated that  72 grams of compostable waste was generated per pupil per day in primary schools and 42 grams per pupil per day secondary schools. If you have contacts with a school that wishes to reduce its total  waste and compost the organic portion (including cooked food) a waste audit will enable identify the size of the problem and enable  the selection of a composter(s) of a size appropriate to the waste produced. 

It is possible to get a general idea of the waste produced using an audit conducted on a single day and the Eco-Schools Waste Audit for Schools, to be conducted by pupils, is based on a one-day audit.  However  if the audit is to provide a estimate on which the selection of the appropriate composter is to be purchased an audit over the five day period of a typical term-time week is recommended.

 This audit also offers the opportunity to provide a baseline against which a food waste reduction programme can be measured. To enable identification of the success of the food waste reduction programme and the composting project it is recommended that during the waste audit the food corrected from the catering areas is separated into:

  Raw Food

• uncooked kitchen  scraps e.g. peelings,
• fruit

Cooked food & dairy

• Plate scrapings
• Leftover unsold food
• Sandwiches, bread,
• Soups. Yogurt and dairy products

 There is scope for improvement and an opportunity to involve the next generation in dealing with this problem we have dumped on them