Challenges in promoting pro-environmental behaviour to reduce food waste in schools

• A school food waste campaign reached over 2,500 daily participants. • Despite raised awareness, food waste levels did not significantly decrease. • Online food waste tracker was ineffective among the targeted age group. • Printed materials proved more effective than digital tools in messaging. • Study highlights the awareness–action gap in school food waste behaviour. Food waste in schools presents significant environmental, economic, and social challenges. This large-scale study investigates the effectiveness of an awareness-raising campaign aimed at reducing food waste in schools. The intervention included printed materials, campaign videos, and an online food waste tracker to inform students about the consequences of food waste and encourage behaviour change. The study employed a three-phase methodology: initial food waste measurement, an awareness campaign combined with a questionnaire survey, and post-intervention food waste assessment. The survey was conducted across 10 schools, where data were collected on food waste generated from a total of 52,421 prepared lunch menus. Food waste was measured during two separate 10-day survey periods in consecutive years; in the second year, an awareness-raising campaign was implemented in the selected schools. In addition, students’ attitudes towards food waste were assessed through a questionnaire survey, yielding 1,480 responses. Data were analysed using statistical methods (Student’s t -test, Pearson’s correlation). On average, consumers left 103 g of food on their plates from each course, which accounted for 32% of the served meal. Although our hypothesis assumed that the campaign would reduce the amount of waste generated, the results did not support this expectation. The findings indicate that while students recognize the importance of reducing food waste, the campaign did not lead to a measurable reduction. This suggests that simply increasing awareness may not be sufficient to drive behavioural change, highlighting the need for alternative strategies.