Awareness about food waste

The results of the school training programme, which integrates learning activities at the piloting schools with caterers, school cooks etc., are being summarized to support its potential application in other regions. A first summary of the report on the outcomes of the pilot programme, conducted in five schools in Tartu County, can be found below. A video providing an overview of the programme as implemented in these five schools will also be published soon.

Summary of the development programme 

The development programme “Koolipere toidutargaks!” (“Making School-Community Food-wise”) was launched in 2024 by the Association of Local Authorities of Tartumaa, in collaboration with Tartu Biotechnology Park and Estonian University of Life Sciences. The programme responded to growing awareness of the critical role school meals play in students’ wellbeing and aimed to support schools in developing a healthier, more collaborative and more conscious food culture. 

Designed as a pilot, the programme ran throughout the 2024/2025 academic year in five diverse schools across Tartu County: Konguta School, Puhja School, Melliste School, Võnnu Secondary School, and Nõo Basic School. Each participating school formed a broad, multidisciplinary team that included leadership, teachers, students, parents, catering staff, local authorities, and in some cases, school nurses and hobby educators. The intention was to bring together everyone involved in shaping students’ food experience and to create space for joint reflection, learning, and action. 

At the start of the programme, each school conducted a comprehensive self-assessment to understand its current food environment—what was working well and where challenges lay. Based on these reflections, schools identified their own development goals and created tailored action plans, which they implemented with the ongoing support of assigned mentors. The flexibility of this structure allowed schools to focus on what mattered most to them—whether that was raising food awareness among students, integrating food topics into the curriculum, improving cooperation with kitchen staff, or reducing food waste. 

The programme supported the integration of food education into various subjects such as home economics, science, health education, and languages. Teachers developed creative and cross-disciplinary learning activities, while students explored food topics through research projects, recipe design, visual communication, and farm visits. In several schools, food vocabulary and positive language use around eating became a focal point, aiming to support more mindful and emotionally secure food conversations. 

In parallel, schools worked to improve communication and collaboration within the school community. This involved increasing transparency and regular contact between teaching staff and kitchen teams, creating simple and student-friendly feedback systems, and involving parents more actively in food-related events and decisions. Some schools also adjusted their physical environments or meal schedules to make eating more comfortable and calm – for example, by introducing 40-minute “wellbeing lunches,” redesigning cafeteria layouts, or introducing visual cues to support self-service. 

A central element of the programme was food waste reduction, all participating schools engaged with the topic in a meaningful way. They began by mapping the current situation and moved toward implementing concrete solutions and educational activities. Practical changes in catering operations were combined with closer collaboration and increased student awareness.

Four out of the five schools conducted two rounds of food waste measurement during the programme, tracking both plate waste and unserved leftovers. These measurements provided valuable data to assess the scale of food waste and to evaluate the effect of specific changes made during the pilot. Several schools reported a notable decrease in waste between the first and second measurement weeks, especially after adjusting portion sizes, improving communication with kitchen staff, and introducing student feedback mechanisms. For example, in some schools, daily waste percentages dropped from over 30% to below 10%, and even as low as 1% on certain days. In others, dessert and fruit waste decreased significantly due to more flexible planning and preference-based menu adjustments. 

The most effective schools were those that combined measurement with feedback mechanisms, student involvement, and a flexible portioning policy.

While the formats and measurement methods varied slightly, the overall conclusion was clear: tracking food waste actively influenced both awareness and behaviour across the school community. Even in cases where exact figures were harder to compare, schools emphasized that the measurement process itself served as a powerful trigger for change. 

The schools‘ efforts focused both on preventing food waste—through better planning, portion control, and feedback collection—and on the responsible use and handling of leftovers. Raising student awareness played a key role, supported by regular feedback opportunities such as the traffic light system. The feedback collected was used to adjust food choices and portion sizes to better meet students’ preferences and reduce overproduction.
 
Several schools also linked the issue of food waste to environmental awareness, social responsibility, and circular economy principles—making it a natural and value-based part of school culture.
 
Initiatives Launched to Reduce Food Waste:

• Sharing edible leftover food with staff or students at the end of the day
• Redirecting inedible food scraps to local farmers
• Weighing food waste during at least two separate weeks
• Planning meals based on absentee information (e.g., using the digital Arno system)
• Adjusting portion sizes and offering self-service options
• Encouraging students to take smaller initial portions and return for seconds if needed
• Using sample portions to guide student choices
• Adapting food quantities and menus based on feedback
• Collecting regular feedback on meals (e.g., via the traffic light system)
• Strengthening cooperation between the kitchen, school administration and teachers to reduce food waste
• Raising student awareness about food waste and food loss in lessons and class activities
• Repurposing leftover fruits and desserts (e.g., making smoothies)
• Organizing “pantry-clearing days” before school holidays
• Introducing the idea of a food-sharing cabinet within the school community

Looking ahead, the schools recommended continuing food waste monitoring regularly, using harmonised tools and involving students and kitchen staff in both data collection and reflection. 

By the end of the programme, all participating schools had developed long-term strategies to sustain and deepen the work begun. These strategies were embedded in development plans, health team agendas, and teaching schedules. Schools committed to continuing collaborative practices, expanding student participation, improving feedback loops, and maintaining food education as a visible and valued part of everyday school life. 

Feedback from all schools was broadly positive. Participants appreciated the relevance of the development programme, the quality of mentoring, and the space it created for meaningful collaboration. At the same time, they suggested several improvements for the future: starting the programme earlier (before the new school year), defining roles more clearly within school teams, simplifying some materials, and increasing the involvement of kitchen staff from the outset. 

Informed by these insights, the programme will expand in the 2025/2026 academic year to include five additional schools in Peipsiääre County, with a stronger onboarding phase and refined support tools. The pilot has shown that food education cannot be an afterthought—it must be a shared, strategic, and sustained effort. The programme “Koolipere toidutargaks!” has laid the groundwork for a school culture where food is not only nourishment, but also a daily opportunity for learning, cooperation and care.