How It Works

Lunch out of Landfills aims to shift how schools manage cafeteria waste by promoting behavior change, student engagement, and practical waste diversion strategies.

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OF CAFETERIA WASTE CAN BE DIVERTED BY DECONTAMINATING RECYCLABLES, SEPARATING ORGANICS AND LIQUIDS AND RECOVERING UNEATEN FOOD THROUGH SHARED TABLES.

The goal is to minimize landfill and incineration by maximizing recovery—even if full composting or recycling isn’t yet available. Food recovery can start anywhere, anytime. Once a school principal signs the pledge, we get to work.

What can you do?

Identify a school or organization that might be working closely with schools in your area
on sustainability initiatives. Elementary Schools produce the most waste, while Middle
and High School students can serve as mentors and get service-learning hours or an internship.

Reach out to the principal and ask if you could visit during lunch period
and see if the school has a share table and recycles. Many schools do not.
If the school has a share table check if they chill the perishables, if not,
take action and follow the profile that fits you best so you can help your local school reduce food waste.

School's Staff Starter Kit

You understand the dynamics of your school culture, be prepared to change the culture and assure administration that students can and have been successful. Form a green team and see if your are eligible for a stipend for running the club. Reach out to your school principal and ask them to take the “Lunch Out Of Landfills” pledge so we can help start the program in your school. In the meantime, here are some things you can do:

Make an observation of your school cafeteria and note what you see. How much waste is occurring? What resources are already available?
Reach out to a member of the school staff and see if you can get their support to begin working with students, the cafeteria staff, or outside groups to begin organizing a plan for reducing your school food waste. Ask the principal if there’s anything they require of you before getting started.
Involve cafeteria and building services. They may be reluctant if it means more work for them. Assure them that you’ll work with them and the students to run a program and monitor food waste.
Involve students to begin building a culture of waste reduction. Organize a waste sort or food waste audit to understand the bigger landscape of waste occurring in your school’s cafeteria.
Organize a share table, share refrigerator, or food recovery system for your cafeteria. Work on finding funding, if this is needed to support this system.
Submit a quote to HD Supply to see the cost of the share refrigerator.
Connect with a local Rotary Club or Edward Jones Consultant.
Once the start date has been established and the refrigerator delivered roll out the program with fanfare. Have students make posters and have morning announcements made letting student know not to throw away recoverable food like prepackaged and unopened milk, yogurt, fruit and packaged vegetables. Food prepared at home cannot be shared.
Volunteer options might include working at the school at the start of the program and check in periodically with the green team to ensure the program is working or taking food to the food bank or set up a system for Friday collection.

Student's Starter Kit

Student voices are the most powerful. Become empowered and be heard.
It is students that have the power to make change. You have the power to make change! Reach out to your school principal and ask them to take the “Lunch Out Of Landfills” pledge so we can help start the program in your school. In the meantime, here are some things you can do:

Involve your parents and let them know your plan. You can start getting involved as early as elementary school:
Join the school green team or environmental club, share your idea and be prepared persevere and work.
Join the Food Waste Warriors program for more ideas and guidance.
Talk to the principal and building services staff to gain their support.
Conduct a waste sort or just look at what is in the trash. Does your school recycle? Is the recycling contaminated? How much recoverable food is in the trash. Does your school have a share table? How do they preserve perishables like milk and yogurt? Do fellow students take the shared food?
Work with parents, school staff, and other students to build gain support from the principal on acquiring a share refrigerator.
Search for funding from community partners, or groups like Edward Jones or a local Rotary Club Once you have funding for a refrigerator select a start date, recruit your green team members to volunteer to monitor waste stations at every grade level, coach fellow students and share the importance of reducing waste a saving recoverable food.
Start with food recovery, then decontaminate recycling, and where possible start a compost program at your school. Lunch out of Landfills can connect you with students around the area and the country to help with ideas and support.

Parent's Starter Kit

Your child is the key. They may not have leadership skills yet, but they are your connection into the school. Join the PTA and speak with the principal. Help your child and their friends get excited and empowered to make a difference.
Encourage them to become Food Waste Warriors and to get their schools involved in food recovery. Have them reach out to your school principal and ask them to take the “Lunch Out Of Landfills” pledge so we can help start the program in your school. In the meantime, here are some things you can do:

Ask the principal if there is a staff member who would be interested in helping you implement environmental solutions.
Involve Building services. They may be reluctant if it means more work for them. Assure them that students will run the program and monitor the refrigerator.
Organize a food collection system for Friday pick up to a local food bank or food rescue. The fridge must be emptied and cleaned each Friday.
Once the start date has been established and the refrigerator delivered roll out the program with fanfare. Have students make posters and have morning announcements made letting student know not to throw away recoverable food like prepackaged and unopened milk, yogurt, fruit and packaged vegetables. Food prepared at home cannot be shared.
Volunteer options might include working at the school at the start of the program and check in periodically with the green team to ensure the program is working or taking food to the food bank or set up a system for Friday collection.
Submit a quote to HD Supply to see the cost of the share refrigerator.
Connect with a local Rotary Club or Edward Jones Consultant.

Community's Starter Kit

Your support can drive change in your local schools. Become a Food Waste Warrior and get your local schools involved. Reach out to your school principal and ask them to take the “Lunch Out Of Landfills” pledge so we can help start the program in your school. In the meantime, here are some things you can do:

Ask the principal if there is a staff member who would be interested in helping you implement environmental solutions.
Involve Building services. They may be reluctant if it means more work for them. Assure them that students will run the program and monitor the refrigerator.
Organize a food collection system for Friday pick up to a local food bank or food rescue. The fridge must be emptied and cleaned each Friday.
Once the start date has been established and the refrigerator delivered roll out the program with fanfare. Have students make posters and have morning announcements made letting student know not to throw away recoverable food like prepackaged and unopened milk, yogurt, fruit and packaged vegetables. Food prepared at home cannot be shared.
Volunteer options might include working at the school at the start of the program and check in periodically with the green team to ensure the program is working or taking food to the food bank or set up a system for Friday collection.
Submit a quote to HD Supply to see the cost of the share refrigerator.
Connect with a local Rotary Club or Edward Jones Consultant.