[News Today] FOOD WASTE REDUCTION IN SCHOOLS

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Over 60 elementary schools have undertaken a unique challenge to cut down on food waste at mealtime. Participating like a game, students significantly reduced food waste within ten days. How did they do this? We take a look.

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A cafeteria at an elementary school.

Students have their meal from trays that they have filled on their own.

This school has a tray scanner that detects what type of food is left and how much food waste is produced.

The amount of food left in trays is displayed on the monitor, and cute animal characters appear on the screen.

The students say it's like playing a game, and it also gives them a sense of accomplishment.

Park Yu-chan / Elementary school student
When I empty my tray completely, I get 10 points. When there are leftovers, I get a lower score, so I try to eat everything.

At 67 elementary schools where these food scanners are installed, the amount of food waste per student decreased by about 9% over ten days.

Some 40,000 students participated in the challenge, reducing food waste by about six thousand liters.
That's tantamount to 500 packs of six 2-liter bottles of water.

Kang Kyung-min / Nutritionist
This helps me find out what kind of food our students like and what kind of food leads to leftovers.

Two schools with the highest scores and participation rates were rewarded with snacks made with locally grown agricultural produce.

Choi Chang-soo / Gyeonggi-do Agricultural & Fisheries Promotion Agency
Food waste leads to greenhouse gases. If children are taught good eating habits they will continue to reduce food waste as grownups.

The Gyeonggi-do Office of Education and the Gyeonggi-do Agricultural and Fisheries Promotion Agency plan to hold more events to help children improve their eating habits in a fun way.