How confident are you that your school’s meal service is doing everything possible to be sustainable?
If you’re unsure, it’s time to take a closer look.
With climate change becoming more urgent and young people increasingly aware of its impact, sustainability in school meals is becoming a priority for many schools.
Why should sustainability matter in school meals?
Sustainability in school meals isn’t just about cutting waste, although that’s a big part. It’s about sourcing food responsibly, reducing your school’s carbon footprint, supporting local businesses, and promoting healthier eating habits.
The way we produce and consume food is linked to larger issues like climate change and food security. According to the Soil Association, the food system contributes significantly to biodiversity loss, carbon emissions, and declining public health.
According to our 2024 School Meals Report, 21% of parents already consider sustainability when selecting school meals. But nearly a quarter feel they need more information to make fully informed choices.
This is where schools can take the lead, providing transparency and showing how they’re making a positive environmental impact.
What’s the current state of school meal sustainability?
Schools and caterers want to be more sustainable, but rising food prices, energy costs, and reliance on processed foods make it tricky to keep up.
A Sustain Campaigner’s Guide points out that climate change and a growing population are putting increasing pressure on our ability to produce nutritious, high-quality food.
Yet, some big players, like Chartwells, a provider of catering and support services to schools and colleges, are calling for educators to adopt a whole-school approach to sustainability, encouraging the use of data-driven tools to forecast meal demand, and introducing pre-order systems to ensure schools only prepare what’s needed. But for smaller schools and caterers, sustainability can feel like an uphill battle.
And then there’s the students.
Today’s young people, especially those in secondary schools, are highly aware of climate change and want their food choices to reflect their values.
Schools can tap into this by offering greener options and making sure everyone knows about the positive changes being made.
Ready to make your school meal service greener? Let’s look at five key steps you can take.
1. Source local and seasonal food
One of the simplest ways to make school meals more sustainable is by sourcing locally and choosing seasonal ingredients.
Why? It reduces food miles, cuts carbon emissions, and supports local farmers. Plus, 31% of parents said they’d be willing to pay more if ingredients were sourced from UK providers.
Quick tip: Work with local farms and suppliers, then shout about it! Use parental engagement platforms like Schoolcomms to keep parents in the loop about the benefits of local, seasonal sourcing.
2. Cut down on food waste
Food waste is a major issue in school catering. But there are ways to address this. For example, introducing digital pre-ordering systems that help you cook exactly what’s needed, reducing waste and saving money.
Our 2024 School Meals Report found that more than half of parents are interested in pre-ordering meals. This makes it a great option for tackling food waste and keeping everyone happy.
Quick tip: Set up a pre-order system so students (or their parents) can select meals in advance. This reduces waste and ensures students get the meals they actually want.
3. Offer plant-based options
Did you know that shifting towards plant-based meals can significantly reduce your school’s carbon footprint? The Climate Change Committee recommends cutting meat and dairy consumption by 20% by 2030.
Many schools have already introduced ‘Meat-Free Mondays’ or similar initiatives, and plant-based meals are gaining popularity, especially among eco-conscious students.
Quick tip: Start with one meat-free day a week, then gradually introduce more plant-based dishes. Make sure these meals are just as tempting as traditional options by running taste tests to show students that plant-based can be as tasty.
4. Get everyone involved
Sustainability is a team effort. To make a real change, schools need to not only involve the catering staff, but also the students, parents, and teachers.
Our 2024 School Meals Report found that 31% of parents want more information about where ingredients are sourced from and how sustainable they are.
Schools can use newsletters, emails, and even canteen signage to explain what’s changing and why.
Quick tip: Put up clear signage in the canteen showing where ingredients come from and why certain changes were made. Run workshops or cooking classes to get students excited about greener eating habits.
5. Work towards certifications
Certifications like the Food for Life award give schools recognition for serving nutritious, sustainable, and locally sourced meals.
These partnerships not only help schools set sustainability goals but also boost credibility and give them recognition, which can be shared with parents and the broader community.
Quick tip: Explore programs like Food for Life to set measurable sustainability targets and get the recognition your school deserves for making positive changes.
Final thoughts
Sustainable school meals don’t just help the planet, they also support local economies, improve student health, and increase meal uptake.
With small, actionable changes, like sourcing locally, reducing waste through pre-ordering, and offering plant-based options – your school can make a big difference.
By communicating these efforts clearly and consistently to parents and students, you’ll also see higher meal uptake, more revenue for caterers, and a stronger sense of community around food.
If you would like to read ParentPay Group’s School Meals Report, click here.