Stop Food Waste Day 2020
Reducing food wastage in schools
We’re all encouraged to adopt eco-friendly habits such as recycling, switching off lights when they’re not in use and taking shorter showers. But reducing food wastage could be one of the critical actions we can take to minimise our environmental impact.
On Stop Food Waste Day 2020, we’re looking at how schools and pupils can reduce food wastage to help protect the environment and save time and money.
Many adults are aware of the smaller measures they can take to help protect the environment. While these efforts should be encouraged, schools need to instil these habits from an early age and make pupils aware of their impact, especially when it comes to wasting food.
Whilst most schools teach pupils about ways to help save the environment, schools and caterers can put these lessons into practice every lunchtime by taking the appropriate measures to keep food wastage to a minimum.
Reduce food wastage with cashless catering software
Switching to cashless catering such as pre-ordering software is one of the most effective ways schools can minimise their environmental impact and reduce food wastage on a larger scale.
AMI’s range of pre-ordering software, including Transact, allows pupils of all ages to pre-order their school lunches, sending orders to the kitchen ahead of time to enable catering staff to prepare meals in advance. By informing staff of meal choices in advance, schools can avoid producing too much food and can focus on only preparing what is necessary.
Transact provides a fun and interactive solution for pupils to pre-order their meal selection during the morning registration process on a primary school level. Pupils can make their selection at a teacher’s PC or interactive whiteboard, sending orders to the kitchen in advance.
Giving younger pupils the option to choose their food in a fun and interactive way encourages them to take an interest in their food choices, increasing the likelihood of eating all their lunch and reducing the risk of food left on the plate.
Pre-ordering school meals also helps reduce food waste by minimising queuing times. Allowing pupils to choose their favourite lunch options in advance ensures they have access to the food they enjoy, whilst reducing queuing times and giving students adequate time to enjoy their lunch. By improving the dining experience and making lunchtime enjoyable for all pupils, food wastage can be reduced and save schools time and money.
Where food is wasted in schools
Waste management experts WRAP found that in both primary and secondary schools, the kitchen and canteen areas produced most of the total food waste, representing food prepared and served but not eaten in the canteen.
In primary schools, the total produced in these two areas was 72%, with an equal split between the kitchen (36%) and canteen (36%), which can be reduced by implementing cashless catering software, benefitting staff and pupils.
The organisers of Stop Food Waste Day encourage everyone to pledge to reduce their food wastage and urge others to do the same. They have found that 33% of all food produced globally is lost or wasted every year, whilst 25% of global food waste could feed 795 million undernourished people in the world.
How schools can help
Here are some other ways that schools can encourage pupils to reduce their food wastage:
- Serve correct portion sizes- younger children don’t need big portions. Therefore, when given more significant quantities of food, they are likely to become too full and leave the majority on their plate, which can be avoided by serving portions appropriate to the child’s age. Encourage older pupils to eat smaller portions and only go back for seconds if they’re still hungry.
- Encourage school dinners over packed lunches- a recent study by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex found free school meals in schools to be a valuable weapon in the fight against childhood obesity, containing more nutrition than packed lunches. Giving pupils a range of choices for their lunch means they’re more likely to choose the food they enjoy, whilst schools can monitor the nutritional value of the options provided.
- Encourage school dinners over packed lunches- a recent study by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex has found that the provision of free school meals in schools is a valuable weapon in the fight against childhood obesity, with school meals providing more nutrition than packed lunches. If pupils are given a range of choices for their lunch, they’re more likely to choose the food they enjoy, whilst schools can monitor the nutritional value of the options provided.
- Promote a calm eating environment- many pupils are likely to get excited about lunchtime. However, if the dining hall is noisy, this can cause an unpleasant eating environment for some pupils, prompting them to avoid spending time in the dining hall, leaving behind the food on their plates.
- Make pupils aware of the issue- especially for older pupils; schools can demonstrate the impact of food wastage on their environment on a broader scale, similarly to Loughborough High, who launched a campaign after realising how much food was wasted. They started by measuring a week’s waste and then filling the equivalent of black bags (around 20) with paper and cards and putting them in the middle of the school hall, so pupils saw them when they arrived for assembly. The students were asked to come up with their ideas for reducing waste.
Visit Stop Food Waste Day’s website to learn more about the campaign.
The Schools & Academies Show is an exciting event that brings together education professionals, school leaders, and decision-makers across the UK. The show serves as a platform for showcasing innovative solutions, such as cashless catering, and sharing best practices in the education sector.
Amidst the buzz and enthusiasm, ami Education had the pleasure of exhibiting at the event alongside Tucasi, payment and administration software providers.
Infinity+ Cashless and Chip & Pin live demonstrations
At the Schools & Academies Show, ami Education proudly showcased the Infinity+ Cashless catering system, revolutionising cashless processes in UK and international schools.
The live demonstrations highlighted the seamless and efficient point-of-sale experience, impressing attendees. This smart system manages student accounts and processes orders at the point of sale effortlessly, providing a convenient and secure dining experience. Visitors learned about the extensive reporting suite, offering insights from free school meal usage to catering reports and discovered how to harness this data to streamline operations and reduce administrative tasks.
Furthermore, ami Education debuted their highly anticipated Chip & Pin technology, which received a positive response at the event. Popular amongst sixth forms and secondary schools, attendees experienced the contactless solution and appreciated the availability of multiple payment methods. Attendees saw first-hand how ami Education’s Chip & Pin terminals optimise the dining experience and empower educational institutions to streamline operations and provide a seamless payment experience.
“Our POS software is evolving with features such as Chip & Pin and additional features. But the next big thing we’ve got to do now is go cloud-based.â€
- Tony Reeves, General Manager.
Infinity+ Order receives positive engagement with attendees
Alongside the Infinity+ Cashless & Chip & Pin demonstrations, ami Education was excited to showcase its cutting-edge Infinity+ Order pre-order school meal app at the Schools & Academies Show. The demonstrations highlighted how students could seamlessly check balances, browse menus, and conveniently pre-order their meals from their mobile phones.
This revolutionary app transforms how students order their meals, ensuring efficiency and convenience. With Infinity+ Order, pupils have easy access to a wide range of menu options, the ability to pre-order meals in advance, and the flexibility to customise their choices based on dietary requirements or allergies.
The Infinity+ Order app empowers staff to efficiently manage meal preparation and reduce food waste by accurately anticipating meal demand. This topic was very relevant at the show due to the current challenges schools and academies face. The app lets pupils control their dining experience, ensuring they receive their desired meals quickly and conveniently.
“Schools are starting to like the pre-order solution, as they can allow pupils to pre-order up to three weeks in advance. Pupils only have to go to the till point and collect their meal.â€
- Tony Reeves, General Manager.
ami Education’s participation in the Schools & Academies Show at the London Excel was met with excitement and enthusiasm.
The Schools & Academies Show served as an excellent platform to showcase our solutions, and we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to positive change in school catering. ami Education remains dedicated to driving innovation, fostering positive experiences, and propelling the education sector forward.
 | To gain further insights into the exciting world of ami Education, watch our exclusive interview with Tony Reeves, our General Manager. In the interview, Tony delves into groundbreaking innovations, transformative approaches, and the future of cashless solutions in education. This interview provides a deeper understanding of our commitment to advancing education institutions. |
If you couldn’t attend the event but still want a demonstration, don’t worry! Book a demo with our team today to learn about implementing cashless catering, pre-ordering or Chip & Pin software in your school. Our team are here to provide all the information and support you need.
We are delighted to announce that ami Education will be showcasing our Infinity+ cashless catering product suite at the upcoming Schools and Academies Show in Excel, London, on May 17th.
Explore Our Infinity+ Cashless Catering Product Suite
We are excited to join forces with school admin and online payment provider Tucasi at stand G16 to demonstrate our integrated cashless and online payment solutions for schools and academies.
During the event, we will showcase our Infinity + cashless catering product suite, including brand-new Chip & Pin payments and pre-order meal app, designed specifically for secondary school and sixth-form students. Attendees will benefit from a first-hand demonstration of our cashless software.
“We can’t wait to team up with Tucasi to bring our integrated cashless solutions to the Schools and Academies Show. As one of the key events in the education calendar, the show will offer an excellent chance to provide real-time demonstrations of exciting new developments from ami Education and, importantly, connect with professionals and find out more about their school needs and discover how we can support their development plans.â€
-Tony Reeves, General Manager at ami Education.
Discover the Latest Cashless and Online Payment Solutions
The Schools and Academies Show is a great opportunity for schools and academies to discover the latest technology and products for the education sector. At ami Education, we are excited to showcase our unique product offering which combines our Infinity+ cashless system with a comprehensive reporting suite, pre-order and payment options, and fast speed of service, all fully integrated with Tucasi’s SCOPAY online payment app.
Whether you want to streamline your cashless payments, improve your catering service, or simply want a faster, more efficient payment system, our solutions are tailored to meet the needs of schools and academies of all sizes.
Book Your Ticket
You can book your free event ticket for the Schools and Academies Show here. If you are attending the Schools and Academies Show, visit our team at stand G16 to learn more about our unique cashless and online payment solutions.
For those who cannot attend the show but would like to learn more about our cashless solutions, please book a demonstration with our team.
Follow us on: