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Fighting Food Waste

Three sixth-graders got their whole school to cut down on food waste—and help the planet.

April 15, 2024
By Rebecca Zissou

As You Read, Think About: How does food waste affect the environment?

It happened every day in the cafeteria. Students at Prairie Winds Elementary School would throw away an enormous amount of food. Handfuls of carrot sticks, half-eaten apples, bowls of salad, and other food all ended up in the trash.

“We noticed how much wasted food there was,” says Annabel Montero. “It was just going into the dumpster.”

Last year, Annabel and her friends Amelia Ashby and Sloan Clary decided to do something about it. The 12-year-olds started a composting program at their school in Monument, Colorado. When composted food breaks down, it can be used as a natural fertilizer for crops.

Along the way, the girls taught their classmates how food waste affects the planet. And they showed that even small actions can make a big difference.

©Stephanie Gonzalez

Annabel, Amelia, and Sloan (left to right) collected food scraps for their compost bin during recess.

What a Waste!

Throwing away a lot of food isn’t just a problem at Prairie Winds. Americans waste about 160 billion pounds of it each year. That’s up to 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S.

There are many reasons food gets tossed. Farmers often dump bruised or oddly shaped fruits and veggies since people are less likely to buy them. Also, many stores throw away damaged boxes, even though the food inside is safe to eat. 

But the biggest source of food waste in the U.S. is us. People buy more food than they need and trash the leftovers.

Throwing away food isn’t just wasteful—it’s also bad for the environment. When food rots in landfills, it releases methane. This gas traps some of the sun’s heat in Earth’s atmosphere, which warms the planet.

Plus, throwing away food wastes resources. That includes the water used to grow it and the fuel used by trucks that deliver it.

©Stephanie Gonzalez

The girls hold some of the compost from their bin.

Helping the Planet

Annabel, Amelia, and Sloan started out by teaching their classmates how to sort their trash at lunch. Fruits and veggies without any sauces or dressing went into a bin for composting. 

The girls, who call themselves the Three Composteers, got another bin for their classroom. They filled it with soil, strips of newspaper, worms, and food they’d collected. The worms feasted on the scraps, which are rich in nutrients. After a while, the worm poop became fertilizer. 

Prairie Winds now has two worm bins. The compost helps veggies grow in the school garden. The crops are used to make snacks like zucchini cake.

Sloan says composting can be hard work since compost needs to be cared for just like a garden. “But it’s a lot of fun,” she says.

Thanks to the girls, the school now produces four or five fewer bags of trash each week. The Three Composteers are proud to be doing their part and hope to inspire other students. 

“It’s good to know that, as a kid, you can do something to help,” says Amelia.

How to Compost With Worms

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1. Grab a large bin. Ask an adult to drill a few holes in the bottom and sides. Fill it with newspaper, leaves, and soil. Pour in a little water to moisten the mixture.

2. Add worms to your bin. A type called red wigglers works best. They can be ordered online.

3. Gather uncooked fruits and veggies or scraps, like the tops of strawberries or apple cores. Cut up big pieces. Add the food to your bin once a week and bury it under the soil. Cover the bin with a loose-fitting lid.

4. In about three to five months, your bin will be filled with nutrient-rich compost! Sprinkle it over your garden and watch it work its magic.

1. What are three main sources of food waste described in the article?

2. How does the author support the claim that food waste is bad for the environment?

3. How does the composting program at Prairie Winds Elementary School work?

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