While leading a field trip last year to a local elementary school to teach students about climate change and to launch a composting program, I noticed that numerous lunchroom food items in their original unopened packaging were thrown away. After talking to the campus aide, I learned that all food that is served by the school must be thrown away because of district regulations based on liability concerns.
I was frustrated that perfectly good food was being thrown away. According to a Greater Food Bank Study in 2024, food insecurity affects roughly 14 percent of the Newton community. From my experience running the Fuel Initiative, where we deliver weekly snack and meal bags to Newton students in need, I’ve observed that each year, the demand for these bags has increased, which is representative of many communities post-pandemic. At the same time, Massachusetts faces a food waste crisis and the MA Department of Environmental Protection estimates that nearly 21 percent of all trash annually, around one million tons, is food waste.
To address this food waste, I created the food diversion program which collects unopened packaged foods and untouched whole fruits that students don’t want. They are then donated to the community Freedge or used to supplement the snack bags distributed through FUEL.
Currently, the food diversion program has been established at
three Newton public schools—Underwood, Bigelow, and Day—with three more—Mason-Rice, Williams, and Hill—interested in joining. Rethink Disposable, a nonprofit focused on reducing waste, has been donating coolers for the program. Green captains, faculty members that lead sustainability efforts at their respective schools, have been integral to this program because they introduce the food diversion program to students and help facilitate the daily collection process. Volunteers then pick up the coolers once or twice each week. Through this effort, around 180 pounds of food have been rescued each week!
I hope to implement the food diversion program at all Newton Schools, so that perfectly good food is redirected to serve our community rather than be thrown away. I invite you to join our growing effort by either helping with outreach to schools or as a volunteer driver.
Cindy Qiao is a senior at Newton North High School.