Three schools in the municipality will take part in a pilot project to prevent food wastage

The initiative is part of the European Life GreenMe5 programme, in which Murcia is integrated along with 4 other European municipalities, and includes the development of a guide of good practices that can be replicated by other cities.

Students and teachers from three primary schools in the municipality of Murcia will participate, from September, in a pilot experience of circular economy, with the aim of quantifying and combating food waste in school canteens.

This is one of the actions of the European Life GreenMe5 project, which aims to facilitate the implementation of the Green City Accord in five EU municipalities, including Murcia together with Arezzo (Italy), Helsingborg (Sweden), Vilnius (Lithuania) and Cieza. The coordination corresponds to the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia (FMRM).

The Local Government Board approved last Friday, at the proposal of the Councillor for Open Government, Economic Promotion and Employment, Mercedes Bernabé, the participation of the City of Murcia in this initiative, as well as the acceptance of a grant amounting to 209,786.98 euros, from European Union funds.

“With this project, progress will be made in one of the main pillars of the circular economy: reducing food waste. In Europe, each citizen wastes an average of 127 kilograms per year, which goes directly to landfill. Awareness-raising activities will be carried out in this respect, as it is vital to educate children in a more sustainable way of relating to our environment, making the most of the resources it provides us with”.

The Councillor for European Projects of Murcia City Council, Mercedes Bernabé.

The three schools participating in the initiative to avoid food waste will soon be selected jointly by the Department of Open Government, Economic Promotion and Employment, led by Mercedes Bernabé, and the Department of Education and Citizen Services, led by Belén López Cambronero.

Among other actions, Murcia City Council will draw up a manual of good practices, which could serve as a model for other cities. Likewise, a baseline will be created on the state of food waste in our schools, allowing us to know where we are starting from in order to improve it. Finally, the possibility of a food network will be studied, so that it can be used in other centres or organisations.

Finally, the possibility of a food network will be studied, so that it can be used in other centres or organisations.

Greenme5 owes its name to the fact that the project is based on the 5 pillars of the Green City Accord, a European movement that fights for the improvement of air quality, water, green spaces, noise reduction and circular economy in the urban environment. Murcia City Council signed up to this agreement on 12 February 2021.