Slide ri schools recycling project Let's Get Food Smart, RI. m m m

A lot of food gets wasted in Rhode Island's schools. We hate to start off with numbers like this, but here goes. We estimate that…

27,777

Pounds of food get wasted on a regular school day.

4,000

Pounds of it will be perfectly good, unopened food that could be donated to hungry families, every day!

Want to know what we throw away in a single school year?

5,000,000

Pounds of food, and…

776,700

Pounds of it could go to hungry kids and their families!

And that’s a problem, not only because of the wasted water and energy used to produce and transport food, but also because…

54,000 Households in RI (12.4%) are food insecure, which means they are often unsure where their next meal will come from due to lack of resources.

Most of the food waste from RI schools gets dumped into the state’s only landfill in Johnston. That’s bad for the environment and it produces methane gas which contributes to global warming. (Methane is a greenhouse gas, 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide)

Here’s some good news.  We have the power to change it –

and you’ve come to the right place to learn how

Waste Warriors Unite!
SCHOOL FOOD WASTE ESTIMATOR

How much food does your school waste?

We have developed metrics to estimate the amount of food waste your school produces.

Estimate Your School's Waste

Take the Challenge!

The RI Schools Recycling Project is challenging your school to Get Food Smart!
Learn More

Waste Less

Make small creative changes in operations and build awareness to form better habits.

Recover and Donate

Reduce wasted food at school and food insecurity in your community

Recycle

Feed Animals, Create compost, and keep food waste out of the Johnston Landfill!

Tell Us Your Story

Are you and your schoolmates already fighting the fight against waste? Are you reducing, recovering or recycling?