Most Public School Districts in Rochester, NY and Albany, NY Metro Regions Not Currently Composting to Manage Wasted Food

Students, whether getting cafeteria meals or bringing food from home, generate a lot of potential food waste while at school. Food waste represents a significant portion of solid waste and a major source of greenhouse emissions when it enters landfills. To understand if and how schools are taking steps to reduce and recover wasted food, we examined how Rochester and Albany area public school districts in upstate New York (NY) manage food waste with composting, using publicly available information online. We found evidence that most districts do not currently compost, revealing opportunities for districts to recover and manage food waste. Overall, we found that five districts are composting in all their school cafeterias, and nine districts are partially composting in cafeterias or places within the district, such as school gardens. Although our findings indicate there are few school districts composting in our study area, there are guidance documents and resources for schools and local governments to manage food waste. Understanding school district activities is a critical component of understanding how local governments and municipalities are using policy tools to reduce and recover wasted food.