Cafeterias are Classrooms: Measuring Student Food Waste in the National School Lunch Program

The expanding footprint of food and agriculture represents one of the biggest threats to biodiversity on the planet. Even more problematic, it’s estimated that the US wastes 63 million tons of food every year. A large percentage of this food waste ends up in landfills where it emits harmful methane greenhouse gas emissions, while also wasting water, energy and wildlife habitat that was sacrificed to grow [wasted] food. One way to reduce food waste is to make changes in consumer-facing businesses and institutions where significant quantities of waste occur, including schools. School cafeterias are a major institutional food-service provider, serving more than 31 million meals per day to students in over 100,000 schools.