Busting myths about food waste

There can be initial costs for setting up food waste reduction programs, such as purchasing compost bins or educational materials. But in the long run, these programs can lead to significant cost savings. These savings are found through lower disposal costs and lower food purchase costs by encouraging more efficient use of resources.

Take Olympia, Washington, for example. Each school year since 2017, Olympia School District removed 400,000 milk cartons from their waste stream after installing bulk milk dispensers in 10 schools. Olympia High School has saved $1,970 in waste collection fees each year!

Similarly, a group of students and school leaders in Montgomery County, Maryland have developed a low-cost strategy to rescue leftover and uneaten food during lunchtime. By purchasing Energy Star mini-fridges and rolling carts in 82 of their schools (which cost roughly $550 per school), they’ve been able to keep almost 400 tons of unopened snacks, fruit, milk, and other food items out of landfills—and instead give them to hungry kids and local food banks. By tracking which items are most frequently leftover, they’re also now able to adjust what and how they’re serving food to prevent food waste. To save all this food and ensure fewer kids go hungry, they’ve calculated it costs them only $90 per school each year—in addition to the clear savings they’ll see on their trash bills!

Myth 2: Food waste reduction is too complicated for schools and communities to manage

Food waste reduction programs can be simple and scalable, tailored to the specific needs and capabilities of each school or community. Basic steps, such as starting a composting program, educating about the impact of food waste, and encouraging the use of leftovers can be easy to implement as long as there is proper planning and community involvement.

Since WWF launched its Food Waste Warriors program, 600 schools across the country been able to implement at least one food waste reduction program, including many Title I schools (which receive federal funding to ensure low-income students receive free or reduced school meals).

Myth 3: Food waste reduction programs have no real impact

Even small efforts to reduce food waste can have a significant positive impact on the environment and community health. Reducing food waste decreases greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, conserves resources used in food production, and can improve food security by redirecting excess food to those in need.

According to a WWF study, national food waste in schools (not including milk) could be as much as 530,000 tons per year.¹ On average, elementary schools that participated in WWF’s pilot program reduced their food waste by over 10%. Nationally, an average of 76% of food waste goes to landfills, which could translate into 402,800 tons of food waste from schools per year. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, the combined impact of sending school food waste to landfills is like adding about 46,100 additional passenger vehicles to the road for one year.

Myth 4: Food waste in schools is not a significant issue

Worldwide, humans waste 40% of all food produced. The food lost on farms alone could feed the world’s undernourished population almost four times over. Wasted food represents roughly 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (nearly four times larger than the global airline industry’s emissions), and is a main driver of the loss of forests, grasslands, and other critical wildlife habitats—while also depleting our freshwater supply. While schools themselves account for only a portion of this overall food waste, they’re a critical touchpoint for students to learn early on about this issue and how to become food waste champions in their communities.