The Educator Magazine U.K. Sept-Dec 2026 issue - Magazine - Page 41
It takes a
village to
tackle food
waste in
schools
By Adam Curtis, Director,
Dolce Schools Catering
When it comes to tackling food waste in
schools, it can be tempting to look to the
caterer for the answer. But the reality is far
more complex. No single organisation can
solve the problem alone.
Reducing food waste requires a collective
effort - from caterers designing menus and
using ingredients more intelligently, to
schools educating pupils, children making
informed choices, parents reinforcing
good habits at home, and partners helping
to ensure that surplus and unavoidable
waste are put to good use.
In short, it takes a village.
The scale of the challenge is significant.
Around 80,000 tonnes of food waste is
generated by schools each year, according
to WRAP . Yet our own research, conducted
as part of Dolce’s Wasteless Plate
campaign, shows there is widespread
recognition that something needs to
change. More than nine in ten secondary
pupils (94%) and primary pupils (92%)
agree that throwing food away is a
problem, while 92% of parents are
concerned about the amount of food
waste produced by schools.
The contradiction is that, despite this
concern, food is still regularly being
left uneaten. Two-thirds of primary and
secondary pupils told us they leave food
uneaten at least once a week, with 32%
of secondary pupils and 24% of primary
pupils saying this happens three or more
times a week.
So how do we close the gap between
recognising the problem and changing
behaviour? It starts by recognising that
food waste is not simply a catering issue.
As school caterers, we have an important
role to play. We can look at how menus
are designed, how ingredients are used,
portion sizes and how appealing food
looks. Our chefs have challenged themselves to think differently about how
ingredients can be used across the menu,
finding new uses for parts that might
otherwise be discarded.
But sustainability has to begin with food
that pupils actually want to eat. Our
research found that pupils are most likely
to try a new meal when it’s healthy,
presented well and looks familiar. Friends
are also hugely influential, with a friend
trying or recommending a new meal
among the strongest factors encouraging
pupils to try something new.
That means pupils themselves are an
important part of the solution. Encouragingly, 96% of primary pupils and 89% of
secondary pupils told us they want to help
reduce food waste at school. Our job is to
give them the knowledge and opportunity
to do so.
That’s where schools have a crucial role.
Almost half of the pupils we surveyed said
they do not know what happens to food
once it is put in the bin. Education can help
pupils understand where food comes from,
the resources involved in producing it
and what happens when it’s thrown away.
Closing that knowledge gap could be an
important step towards turning concern
into action.
And tackling food waste doesn't stop
when something becomes surplus or
unavoidable.
We need to think more circularly about
school food - using as much of every
ingredient as possible, redistributing
good-to-eat surplus and finding a useful
purpose for waste that cannot be
prevented. Partnerships are essential here.
Through Dolce’s partnership with Olio,
surplus meals can be redistributed within
local communities, while ReFood collects
unavoidable food waste and converts it
into renewable energy rather than sending
it to landfill.
Each plays a different role, but together
they form part of a much bigger solution.
The same is true of parents. With 95%
telling us they support school-led
initiatives to tackle food waste, there is a
clear opportunity to connect what children
learn and experience at school with the
habits they develop at home.
Ultimately, there is no single answer to
school food waste. It’s about creating a
culture in which food is valued - from the
way ingredients are sourced and prepared,
to the choices pupils make at lunchtime,
and what happens to food that cannot be
eaten.
Caterers, schools, pupils, parents and
partners all have a role to play. We may
each control a different part of the food
journey, but by working together, we can
make a much bigger impact.
To find out more about Dolce’s Wasteless
Plate campaign please visit https://www.
dolce.co.uk/the-wasteless-plate/
