The document compiles the experience developed in six educational centers in the municipality and offers a practical and replicable methodology to move towards a more innovative and sustainable municipality.
"Murcia is now making available to any municipality an efficient, proven and innovative model, based on real data and perfectly replicable," highlights Mercedes Bernabé
The Murcia City Council has presented the "Manual for Reducing Food Waste in the City of Murcia: A Case Study of Primary Schools." Developed within the framework of the European LIFE GreenMe5 project, it is now available to citizens and organizations with the aim of providing key strategies for preventing food waste in school cafeterias.
The Councillor for Open Government, Economic Development and Employment, Mercedes Bernabé, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "We wanted to go beyond diagnosis and offer a useful tool for educational centers, restaurants, and other public administrations. Murcia is now making available to any municipality an efficient, proven, and innovative model, based on real data and perfectly replicable."
Thus, the document is based on audits carried out in primary schools in the Conexión Sur area, in which nearly a thousand students using the dining service participated.
The methodology has combined quantitative measurements of food waste with direct observations, interviews and questionnaires directed at students, kitchen staff and monitors, allowing analysis of the entire service chain, from menu planning to final waste management.
The results of the study identify a series of organizational, educational and management measures that will allow food waste to be reduced by more than 70% in the school cafeterias analyzed.
Practical measures to improve the management of canteens
Based on the diagnosis carried out, the manual identifies the main causes of waste as the low acceptance of certain dishes, the limited adaptation of some portions to the age of the students, the differences between the planned number and the actual number of diners, the absence of continuous measurement systems and the reduced use of the dining room as an educational space.
To address these situations, the document proposes strategies organized into eight areas of action, encompassing menu planning, responsible purchasing, food preservation, kitchen production, dish presentation, reuse of surplus food, waste management, and raising awareness throughout the entire school community. These are low-cost measures that can be implemented immediately and significantly reduce waste without compromising the nutritional quality of the food.
Furthermore, the experience gained has allowed for the incorporation of tools for measuring and monitoring waste, improving service planning, and adapting actions to the specific needs of each educational center.
A model that can be exported to other municipalities
One of the project's main strengths lies in its transferability. The experience developed in Murcia has allowed for the creation of a methodology based on innovation, participation, and continuous improvement that can be applied by other municipalities interested in moving towards more sustainable food systems.
As a continuation of this initiative, the Murcia City Council has launched a training program for schools in the municipality to share the best practices outlined in the manual and facilitate their implementation in school cafeterias. Interested schools can request to participate in this program through the following link: https://calendar.app.google/Cv3T1A1Z9b2waY2V8
The LIFE GreenMe5 project has also helped consolidate a collaborative model between public administrations, educational institutions, restaurants, social organizations, and the agri-food sector. This network lays the groundwork for future circular economy initiatives and reinforces Murcia's commitment to innovation and sustainability as cornerstones of the city of the future.
The manual is available in both Spanish and English for download from the following website: https://www.estrategiamurcia.es/greenme5/#proyecto