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School lunches and snacks

Each year UK schools throw away 110,000 tonnes of food or enough to fill 84 Olympic sized swimming pools! It’s a good idea to remind our little ones to try and only take as much as they can eat.

If you’re packing lunches, keep in mind how much your child can eat. Here’s a tip if they are small: prepare a sandwich and cut in half. Presto – you’ve created two lunches. Keep one-half refrigerated and serve the next day or for an after-school snack.

Speaking of after school snacks. Preparing them in advance will save you time, money and packaging. Try buying a bundle of fresh carrots, celery, peppers or other vegetables – wash and cut into kid-friendly size pieces and store in a large Tupperware in the refrigerator. Add a shallow layer of cold water to the container to keep it all perky. Then each day before pick-up fill a small box full of them. You can use an old take-away container or purchase a long-lasting one. Remember to bring a reusable water bottle too!

If you work in a school and want to get involved in our projects & help cut down food waste, get in touch by emailing info@westlondonwaste.gov.uk.