Wales is one of the world’s top recyclers, yet a quarter of the average household rubbish bin is food waste – enough to fill 3,300 double-decker buses every year! A staggering 80% of this could have been eaten and the rest could have been recycled into renewable energy to power our homes.
Get involved
We are calling on children aged 5 to 11 to become informed, self-aware citizens to help get Wales to #1 in the world at recycling and become a zero-waste nation before 2050.
Simply download and deliver our flexible, adaptable and interactive resources in the classroom or an assembly. Pupils will learn about the value of food, how we can get the most out of the food we have whilst creating renewable energy by recycling what can’t be eaten.
The session offers the perfect introduction to our new homework competition: creating a recipe poster to inspire families to tackle food waste.
Parents or carers can share their children's recipe posters here by 30 April 2024 for a chance to win prizes including a food hamper for their family and £50 worth of books for their child's school.
The activities are aligned with the Curriculum for Wales and your pupils' work can be used as part of your school's Eco-Schools evidence.
Get started with our resources
To download the free resources, complete the form below
Step 1 - Valuable food presentation - deliver a 25-minute lesson or assembly: every bit of food we buy has value and we can save money and protect our planet by making the most of it! Pupils will discuss how to save Arthur the banana, have a go at a food waste maths quiz and watch a video showing the science behind food waste recycling. (25 minutes)
Step 2 - Mighty Food Waste Mission competition - follow up with a 30-minute homework activity: We’re challenging pupils to create an exciting recipe to use up food at risk of being wasted. Parents can submit a photo of their child's recipe poster via our family page for a chance to win prizes! (30 minutes). We have included a digital flyer with our resources that you can drop into your school’s newsletter or email system.
Step 3 - Classroom follow-up session - encourage pupils to bring their recipes into class to share their ideas and inspire each other! You can also share information about reducing food waste and the family competition with parents - just drop the digital flyer into your school's newsletter or email system.
Taking your learning further
Want to learn more about food waste? When you complete the form, you will also get access to these additional curriculum-linked resources that explore food waste in more depth.
Food Waste Quiz - test your knowledge on edible and inedible food waste and how unavoidable waste is being turned into renewable energy.
Science Mission: Microbe Magic - complete an experiment to show that biofuel can be produced from recycled food waste.
Maths Mission: Power-up Challenge - use maths to show how food waste such as banana peels and teabags can power everyday appliances.
Languages and Literacy Mission: Poetry in Motion - write a poem to tell others about food waste recycling.
Sign up to download our free resources
The Mighty Food Waste Mission is part of Wales Recycles’ national ‘Be Mighty. Recycle’ campaign, contributing to Welsh Government’s goal of becoming a zero-waste nation by 2050 and boosting Wales to no.1 in the world for recycling.
Bananas fuel Efan, the peels power the house! Watch the video to discover how mother and son boost a classic pancake with over-ripe fruit so that nothing goes to waste, whilst recycling the food items that can’t be eaten to help create renewable energy.