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

  • sapling sprouting from a cracked stone

    Lessons in Resilience: Disaster Recovery in Our Schools

    Facility managers play a pivotal role in how well a school weathers and recovers from a crisis. Whether it's a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, or a man-made event, preparation determines resilience.

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.

  • California K–12 District Finishes Renovations on Multi-Sport Stadium

    The Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) in Alameda, Calif., recently announced the completion of a renovation project on the Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School stadium, according to a news release. The district partnered with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and Bothman Construction on the facility, and funding came from Bond Measure B.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

Digital Edition