Re-plate Your Trash into Treasure
by Phoebe Z., grade 9
Food waste, climate change, air pollution, overfishing, loss of biodiversity… The list is infinite. You have surely come across these terms countless times throughout your endeavour at MIS. You are aware of these terrible issues plaguing the world. But now what? What can you do?
The Re-plate Event is the perfect event to convert knowledge and compassion into action.
Re-plate is a student-led event that will take place on 19th May 2025 from 15:50-16:15 in front of the MIS rainbow tunnel. Solutionary Summit’s Food Waste Team (Replate) collaborated with an organisation named “Food that’s Left” and MIS 7th Graders who are currently studying this topic. Together, they will collect edible left over food that would have been otherwise thrown away from their local bakeries, supermarkets and farms in Starnberg. The food will then be combined into a pot of soup and distributed to the MIS community. The aim of this event is to spread awareness on the issue food waste, aid the mission to combat climate change and foster long-standing habits of resource preservation.
“We can make food for many people, with food that would have been thrown away,” said Ms. Berkman, Head of Solutionary Summit.
What is the Food Waste Situation in MIS vs. in Germany?
MIS wastes on average 60 Liters of food per day. Below is the graph showing the food return waste from the school’s cafeteria over 8 months from August 2024 to March 2025.
Compared to Germany, where 11 million tons (roughly 31,149 million litres) of food were wasted in 2020, MIS’s past efforts have prevailed with around 21,900 litres of food wasted per year, on average. However, this doesn’t mean that our mission is finished. On the contrary, the data shows that food waste is a greater societal problem that could only be solved if we expand our reach beyond the gates of our school.
“(Food waste) connects to many…other problems. For example, carbon emissions (from) the trucks carrying the (food) waste over.” stated Ms. Berkman, Head of Solutionary Summit.
Why is food waste a problem?
Change can only be made by first understanding the root of the issue and the Re-plate Event will strive to effectively tackle 4 aspects as follows; including wasting natural resources, increasing the severity of climate change, the deterioration of agricultural lands and damaging biodiversity.
“It’s difficult, to have it perfectly balanced, (where) you eat just enough but also you don’t throw away…but I think we should try to improve.” noted Ms. Berkman, Head of Solutionary Summit.
Waste of Water
Firstly, food waste contributes to the mishandling of natural resources such as water. Water plays an irreplaceable role throughout the process of food production. Agriculture demands 70% of the global water usage. Processes such as raising livestock, irrigation, spraying the crops with water, etc., are largely water reliant. Therefore, wasting food is equivalent to wasting the water required to grow it.
According to the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), food wastage has directly led to a fourth of our drinking water being wasted, totalling to around 167 billion euros. For example, one kilogram of beef disposed is comparable to 50,000 litres of discarded water.
“I’m hoping that students start… changing their behaviours (towards food waste), … we could also go into the local community… we can build partnerships with other people through this event.” said Ms. Berkman, Head of Solutionary Summit.
Climate Change
Many greenhouse gases are lethal contributors to climate change. They are released from the decomposition of food waste in landfills. Among them, methane occupies the largest portion. Furthermore, 58% of all methane emissions derive from these landfills. It is 25 times more threatening than carbon dioxide since it confines heat from the sun for as long as 12 years upon its excretion.
Studies show that 20% of all greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, generated worldwide, originated from food waste. If proper food waste treatment systems were to be constructed, 11% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented.
“Just having the concept of: I’m asking for food, (although) I have the privilege to have it when I want it but I am not… given food all the time, want it or not, and (that’s how) food keeps getting wasted.” mentioned Ms. Berkman, Head of Solutionary Summit.
Degradation of Land
Land is mainly squandered in 2 different ways: the unsustainable production of crops and the disposal of food.
Did you know that 115,000 square kilometres of the world’s land are cultivated for agricultural purposes? The production of meat and dairy products alone takes up a significant amount of space. For instance, 9 million square kilometres of land is devoted to raising livestock for meat and dairy goods alone, hindering the growth of native plant species in these once natural spaces.
“If everyone just becomes a little bit more conscious, specifically around meat, then… we can start to save animals… (and) reduce the amount of emissions… from shipping all this food.” said Ms. Berkman, Head of Solutionary Summit.
Destruction of Biodiversity
The definition of biodiversity is an environment’s ecosystem that comprises a wide variety of species, plant and animal life. You are probably familiar with the loss of biodiversity on land through mono-cropping, deforestation and other agricultural practices. However, little is known about the deterioration of the oceans.
The quantity of life for marine species has been notably declining; underwater ecosystems are being worn away through of overfishing. Out of the total fish caught in Europe per year, 40-60% are thrown away because they don’t fulfil supermarket quality standards to be sold. Eventually, marine ecosystems and the food chains are disrupted, jeopardising both the fish supply for human consumption and biodiversity within the ocean.
“Food waste is a global issue that impacts not just us… if we waste food then we are denying others in need of their right to access food.” expressed grade 9 student, Hyun L., member of the Solutionary Summit Food Waste Group (Replate).
Future Anticipation
The release of greenhouses gases will be decreased by the equivalent of 6 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide gas if individual domestic food waste could be minimised to 50% of the current amount according to BMEL.
What can you do to reduce food waste?
The reduction of food waste is certainly a plausible mission if everyone starts slightly altering their habits. In an interview with Ms. Berkman, she discussed a few tips that you as an individual can implement into your life to assist this movement.
- Bringing to go boxes
- Freezing leftovers
- Creatively using scraps and peels from foods
The Re-plate Event
You can play a part in reducing food waste. Join Re-plate by appearing at our event and make a difference today! Spread the message to your family and friends and invite them to the MIS rainbow tunnel from 15:50-16:15 on 19th May for a bowl of soup.
“One measurable goal is that we reduce the amount of food waste in our school, and by bringing students into this problem, they are starting to recognise that they have an impact on… the food wasted … and as they grow up, they will continue to keep those behaviours (of reducing food waste).” commented Ms. Berkman, Head of Solutionary Summit.
