Currently, many schools have regulations in place that require students in lower grades to have certain amounts of each food on their plate. Even though these regulations change to be less strict when you get older, it still creates an issue of food waste. Younger kids eat less food than teenagers and they're being forced into taking larger portions that they won't be able to finish. While changing this policy could make people concerned that growing kids are not getting the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy, it should still be something that's looked into. Some schools such as the Union City Public Schools in Union City, New Jersey, have opted for and an Offer vs. Serve policy that allows students to decline some of the food offered and maybe get a reimbursement  for their lunch. Changing the portion sizes of the food given to be based on age could greatly reduce the amount of food waste produced by schools. This way students are getting the right amount of food they need, decreasing what is wasted. 

New York State does have some legislation for food waste, but it doesn't include schools. Title 22, specifically Article 27, has guidelines about food waste. Certain facilities, such as hotels and sports venues, are required to separate their excess edible food to be donated for human consumption. Some other building's that are exempted are hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities and K-12 schools. By adding schools onto this Article, the amount of food waste dumped into landfills would go down significantly.