NINE schools on the Mid North Coast - including four in the Macleay - have taken part in a pilot Lunchbox Leftovers program to cut food waste.
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Smithtown Public, Kinchela Public, Kempsey Adventist School and Aldavilla Primary participated in the trial which can help families save money, as well as creating a positive impact on the environment.
The program came about as a result of MidWaste's involvement in the NSW Government's Love Food Communities program.
The Lunchbox Leftovers saw three innovative implementations - Make Your Own Lunch, Take Leftovers Home and Play Before Eating.
Every student wastes three kilograms of food each year on average. Across Australia that sees students throw away 3.5 million uneaten sandwiches, 3 million pieces of whole fruit and 1.3 million items of packaged foods.
The schools worked with MidWaste, BehaviourWorks Australia and the NSW Environment Protection Authority to explore effective food waste reduction measures.
Some Lunchbox Leftovers schools educated and empowered students to make their own lunches, others swapped the lunch break timetable so that students played first before eating, while a third group adopted a new policy where leftover food returns home. The interventions aimed to increase the amount of food eaten and reduce waste.
The program found that leftovers going home and promoting student involvement in lunch making substantially increased students' involvement in choosing and making food for school.
Students who played before eating at lunchtime reported eating more food by the end of the term.
Some of the schools had a noticeable reduction in food waste, packaging waste and an increase in students bringing healthier food options to school.
"The outcomes from this pilot present an exciting opportunity to change behaviours and increase food waste reduction in NSW schools," MidWaste project officer Wendy Grant said.
All families can learn more about how to reduce food waste at home by signing up for the free online Food Smart program at www.midwaste.org.au/food-smart.
