Reduce + Repurpose

An estimated 16 million children in America struggle with food insecurity and hunger each year. Many of these children qualify for free lunches at school but go home to empty kitchens. At the same time, school kitchen across the country throw away significant amounts of unused and uneaten food (that is: food that is never served, sits in the kitchen but because of food safety regulations must be thrown away) each day. Find out how much unused food is being discarded from your school kitchen. Then brainstorm whether and how that food could be re-packaged into take home meals for kids in food need.

How do I get started? Get helpful tips from our Stand out from the Pack - Campaign PDF. Then talk to school administrators and cafeteria staff about the best way to launch your project.

How do I expand this narrative arc? Are you horrified by the amount of food waste at your school and eager to reduce its environmental impact. Here are a few more ideas for you:

• Vermicompost! That means ‘use worms to create compost’. Create a low-cost worm bin at your school. Add small amounts of fruit and vegetable waste and watch the worms turn the material into vermicompost, which is the best type there is.

• Start an on-site composting program at your school. Finished compost can be used in school gardens or for school and community landscaping.

• Connect with local farmers and divert food waste to feed animals.

• Have your school contract with a commercial composter who will pick up organic food waste and then divert it to larger composting operations.

HOT TIP: You’ll get the most personal impact out of this project if your already have a narrative arc that includes sustainability and/or community activism.