Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Mass. Middle School Launches Program to Reduce Food Waste

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 01/08/20

William Diamond Middle School introduced a new food recovery program on Jan. 2 that aims to reduce food waste in Lexington, Massachusetts. The program is a collaboration between Lexington’s Board of Health, the Public Health Department, parent volunteers and Whitsons Culinary Group, a local newspaper reported. It was approved by the Board of Health in August.

Food recovery is the process of saving edible food that would normally be thrown away and is given to food banks, restaurants, and other food distributors. Food waste makes up about 22 percent of all discarded municipal solid waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“What makes it worthwhile is that we’re able to feed hungry people, but also divert that food waste and make a real sustainability effort,” Public Health Director Kari Sasportas told the Lexington Minuteman. “It’s also a good educational opportunity for the kids to learn about sustainability and the whole cycle of food.”

Students at William Diamond Middle School can now drop off lunch items they did not open or eat like yogurt cups, cheese sticks, milk bottles, apples and bananas and drop them off in a fridge located in the cafeteria. The food items will then be donated to Foodlink, an Arlington-based non-profit.

In addition, the school collaborated with Foodlink, Whitsons, and the health department to create new operating procedures for food service workers in the school district.

The Health Department will evaluate the new program at the end of February and will determine whether or not to implement similar programs to the town’s eight other schools.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.