Food Waste Diversion In Schools

The key to any movement taking off is getting the information out there. In the case of schools there is no better way to get the information out than by educating the students! Young, elementary aged students are particularly excited to participate in ideas that have a big impact on their community because they are finding their way in the world. It is a perfect age group to introduce recycling concepts to because they will carry them with them throughout their lives…and help spread the word!

One of the way that elementary schools are contributing in a big way to the recycling movement is through food waste diversion. Schools who set up a system empowering the kids with the knowledge of what is compostable and then allowing them to put those items from their finished lunch into a compost bin have been able to reduce their waste at lunchtime by 80%. They are then using the compost to fertilize their school gardens and then using the food harvested from the gardens for their school lunches. It is truly reducing, reusing and recycling.

Additionally, children who are educated about recycling and who participate in the process at school are more likely to request that it happen at home…reaching that sometimes skeptical market who does not think that recycling is important…their parents!!

A composting program does not have a high start up cost and many times schools can qualify for grant money or even ask volunteers to donate time and or resources to get the program off and running. With such a low investment cost and high return it seems that food waste diversion programs are the wave of the future. Goodbye home economics class…hello waste diversion class!

Imagine the possibility of educating all the little ones our country and then sending them out into the world. Children believe that anything is possible if they can dream it and want it badly enough so why not give them the recycling ball to run with? If anyone can do it, they can (and they will!) Let’s be their mentors and guide them (and the rest of our country) to a eco friendly world!