Food waste audits: key first step to reducing food loss at schools

Every day in school cafeterias across the country, a surprising amount of food ends up in the trash. I'm sure we've all seen students throw away perfectly good apples with just a bite missing, unopened cartons of milk, and untouched entrees. While this might seem like a small problem at the lunchroom level, when we zoom out, it is indicative of a much bigger issue: the U.S. wastes an estimated 30% of its food and this waste adds up to as much as 73 million tons of food thrown out across K-12 schools each year.

At World Wildlife Fund, our Food Waste Warriors program was built to improve cafeteria culture, teaching students about the food system and driving schools to make more environmentally friendly decisions through sharing unwanted food and composting uneaten items. A great way to quickly and visually understand the impact of food waste in cafeterias is conducting food waste audits with students.

Check out our new resource on how to conduct a school food waste audit.

What is a Food Waste Audit?

A food waste audit is a student-led activity that helps schools identify how much and what kinds of foods are being wasted in their cafeterias. Using buckets, scales, and data sheets, students and staff sort and measure uneaten food by category (fruits, vegetables, milk, entrées, and more). It’s a hands-on and extremely eye-opening activity.

The best thing about a food waste audit is that anyone can start one: teachers can build it into lessons, parents can organize one with PTA groups, and students can be expected take the lead. The process of conducting a food waste audit not only sparks important conversations among students—many of whom could be shocked to see the results—but also generates information that schools can use to take action.

Why Does It Matter?

• Tracking progress. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Audits help schools establish a baseline and track information like how many unopened milk containers were saved from the trash each month.
• Sparking systems change. The data schools collect doesn’t stop at the cafeteria doors. WWF maintains a nationwide database of food waste audit results from schools across the country. This collective evidence gives credibility to our advocacy efforts—like working with a district to pilot bulk milk dispensers, trying to get your town to start a composting program, or making it easier for schools to donate unopened food.
• Building student leadership. When students lead or participate in audits, they see firsthand that their actions matter. They become advocates for change, encouraging peers and even school leaders to rethink how food is served, shared, or saved.

From Data to Action

Conducting a food waste audit is just the first step. The numbers provide a roadmap for schools to explore solutions such as:

• Share tables, where unopened items can be safely redistributed;
• Longer lunch periods or recess before lunch to give kids time and appetite to eat;
• Composting programs to keep food out of landfills;
• Recipe adjustments and culturally relevant menus to reduce unwanted items; and
• Bulk milk dispensers to cut down on wasteful single-use cartons.

Each school community is unique, but the data helps uncover the right set of strategies for each cafeteria.

Join the Movement

Since 2018, Food Waste Warriors has been tracking food waste audits in over 600 schools in 31 states. Each audit contributes to a growing picture of how food is wasted in schools, and, more importantly, how it can be prevented.

If you’re ready to see what’s really happening in your cafeteria, start with our step-by-step guide: How to Conduct a Food Waste Audit at Your School.

Data Sheet: Food Waste Audit Data Collection Sheet

Knack Database: Food Waste Warriors

The results will give your school an indication of what steps need to be taken to reduce food waste —for your students, your community, and the planet.

Recommendations on next steps? See how to use the data you collect to inspire change.