As part of the Horizon Europe ToNoWaste project, a series of educational activities has been successfully launched in several schools across the Valencian Community, aiming to raise awareness and promote behavioural change around food waste among younger generations.
The initiative is built around a three-session programme designed to progressively deepen students’ understanding of sustainability and food waste.
The first session introduces the topic through interactive dynamics, encouraging students to reflect on what sustainability and food waste mean to them. Participants identify where food waste occurs most frequently and explore real-life examples across households, schools and the hospitality sector. The session also includes an overview of Spain’s new regulatory framework — Law 1/2025 on the prevention of food loss and waste — alongside a presentation of the ToNoWaste project.
To complement the session, students are asked to complete two baseline surveys at home:
- A household profile questionnaire, covering family composition and food purchasing habits
- An ex-ante survey, where students monitor fruit consumption and waste over one week, identifying the most consumed types of fruit in their household
The second session focuses on sustainability concepts in greater depth. Students are introduced to:
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a method to measure the environmental impact of products and actions throughout their lifecycle
- The environmental, social and economic impacts associated with food waste
Following this, students complete an ex-post survey, repeating the initial measurement to assess whether their awareness and consumption habits have changed.
The final session is dedicated to presenting and discussing the results of the surveys, allowing students to compare outcomes and reflect on their behavioural shifts. The programme concludes with the awarding of participation diplomas and a small surprise gift.
Implementation across schools
The activities have been rolled out in several educational centres with strong engagement from both students and teaching staff:
- At IES Llombai (Burriana), sessions were conducted with second-year Bachillerato students under the guidance of teacher Natxo García. The final session is scheduled for 7 May, where results will be presented and discussed.
- At CEIP Penyagolosa (Burriana), sixth-grade primary students, together with teacher Pablo Martínez, have already taken part in the first session.
- At IES Vicent Sos Baynat (Castelló de la Plana), first-year Bachillerato students, guided by teacher Pere Rubio, have also begun the programme.
During these visits, led by Universitat Jaume I (UJI), students actively engaged in discussions, group exercises and interactive activities using post-its, videos and open dialogue. These methods helped foster critical thinking and highlighted how everyday actions can contribute to reducing food waste.
Encouraging reflection and long-term impact
The sessions have proven to be highly participatory and impactful, enabling students to connect theoretical concepts with their daily habits. By combining awareness-raising with practical measurement tools, the initiative not only informs but also empowers students to make more sustainable choices.
The ToNoWaste project continues to work closely with educational institutions to promote a more fair, inclusive and sustainable food system, recognising the key role of education in driving long-term behavioural change.
