The growth of single-use food packaging can be traced to the emergence of fast-food restaurants in the 1950s. Today about 47% of municipal solid waste is comprised of plastic, glass, metals and paper products.  A significant fraction of this waste is food contaminated packaging and food waste. Prepackaged and single use items are particularly useful in the classroom setting such as a preschool where there are very specific health regulations and the user (child) has very particular tastes. 

During the day young children will eat multiple times (morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack). Food waste especially in a preschool setting can be significant. Parents have noticed a large amount of food waste and would like to use this opportunity to teach children about environmental impact. The students will be looking for environmentally friendly ways to reduce food waste while following all applicable health standards required for the facility. 

UPDATE

To avoid sending this food waste to landfills, a solution is being proposed for the school to keep two vermicompost (worm) bins on-site to create their own compost to use in the school garden. The remaining food waste will be sent to the anaerobic digester at the West Lafayette Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The WWTP uses the anaerobic digester to convert food waste into energy to power the plant. In addition, an education plan is being developed to provide educational activities for young children to teach them the importance of reducing food waste. Keeping compost bins on site will provide an educational resource for the children while also providing fertile soil that can be incorporated into their gardens on site. This solution is expected to be effective because it reduces food waste through education and composting.