Schools Competing to Reduce Food Waste in Canteens

Tipo de pratica Reduce

Nombre la actividad profesional Schools Competing to Reduce Food Waste in Canteens

Nombre del agente principal Halmstad municipality and 14 schools

Tipo de agente(s) Autoridades públicas

Ubicación Sweden

Etapa de la puesta en práctica Consumo

Año de puesta en práctica 2008

Actividades realizadas o en vías de realización In Halmstad municipality, there are 14 schools that supply approximately 6,850 students with daily meals. The project was a long term information campaign targeted at the middle and high schools at Halmstad municipality. Within the campaign the food was weighed four times (January 2009, May 2009, October 2009 and a control in November 2010). The campaign was designed as a contest between the schools where the school that threw away the least won.

Resultados y repercusiones During the campaign the food waste per portion diminished with 5,8 gr. (13 %), from 44,7 gr./serving to 38,8 gr./serving. The sample group consisted of 6,850 pupils and daily portions; a full school year consists of 173 days.This gives 1,185,050 servings annually and consequently an avoidance of 6,783 kg of food wastage. The campaign managed to reach a political decision (April 22, 2011) on municipal level to weigh the food waste in all schools twice per year. On average the schools reduced their waste with 13 %. Controls also show that the reduction seems to be permanent. Unilever calculates that 1 kg. of school food is equal to about 1 kg of CO2, so nearly 7 tonnes of CO2 can be saved annually with the given result.