Young

Food Waste Fighters AWARD

International competition

for schools and kindergartens

Celebrating schools and kindergartens taking action to reduce food waste

Given that a significant amount of food waste occurs at the household level, fostering awareness and responsible habits from an early age is crucial. Engaging children in understanding the value of food instills lifelong sustainable behaviors.

In the 2025/26 school year, two exciting international awards will be launched for schools and kindergartens across the foodCIRCUS project region: Austria, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland.

1️⃣The first award (Food waste preventin in action) will shine a spotlight on existing activities and projects that have already helped reduce food waste or raised awareness among students, parents and/or teachers

Implementation

October 2025 (start submission) - January 2026 (winner announcement)

2️⃣The second is a creative challenge where children can design posters to raise awareness about food waste in a fun and visual way.

Implementation

February (start submission) - June 2026 (winner announcement)

Both awards are initiated by the Interreg foodCIRCUS consortium and come with great prizes and recognition!

The Interreg foodCIRCUS project is dedicated to reducing and managing food waste in schools and kindergartens across Central Europe.

Learn more about the project

Who can participate?

All schools and kindergartens in the foodCIRCUS project region (Austria, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic) that have carried out activities to minimize food waste in their institutions or to build awareness on food waste / food waste prevention and about the respectful and mindful handling of food.

The projects and actions can be already finished (not older than 3 years) or it could also be ongoing activities linked to the above-mentioned themes.

What can be submitted?

Examples

Organizing a “Leftovers Day” where uneaten food is creatively reused
Monitoring and reducing plate waste in the school cafeteria
Running workshops, presentations, lessons, extracurricular courses about food waste and sustainability
Writing songs, plays or poems about food waste and performing them for others
Setting up a food sharing table
Creating infographics or posters to display around the school
Visiting a local farm or food bank to learn about food production and redistribution
Cooking activities
Growing food in a school garden and prepare it together with the students
Involving parents and families through newsletters or homework challenges
Collaborating with the school kitchen to adjust portion sizes or offer smaller servings

Timeline

Submission period: 1st October – 30th November
After an initial check, all projects will be prepared for the public voting.
Public voting (online): 5th December – 12th December
All submitted projects will take part in the public voting. The top 10 projects from the public voting will be shortlisted for evaluation by the expert jury.
Jury voting: will take place before Christmas
Winner announcement: 12th January

Submission Form

Please find the submission form in all languages HERE

Evaluation Criteria

✔️Effectiveness in reducing food waste/raising awareness

Does the project lead to measurable results or visible changes in behavior? This can include a reduction in actual food waste or increased awareness among children, staff, or families about the value of food.

✔️Creativity and innovation

How original or creative is the approach? We love to see fresh ideas, playful methods or unexpected ways to tackle the issue of food waste that really capture attention or spark curiosity.

✔️Engagement of children and staff

Were children actively involved in planning and implementing the project? Did teachers, educators, or kitchen staff work together with the children? We value participatory approaches where everyone plays a role.

✔️Potential for replication in other institutions

Can other schools or kindergartens learn from or repeat the project? We are looking for ideas that can inspire others and be adapted to different settings with simple means.

✔️Sustainability of the initiative

We are especially interested in projects that are part of a long-term effort, are integrated into daily routines, or have the potential to continue growing over time.

Winner Selection Process

The winners will be determined in two steps

1️⃣First, there will be a one-week online voting phase, giving the general public the opportunity to explore the projects.

From this, the 10 top-ranked projects will emerge.

2️⃣These will then be presented to an expert jury, which will select the three winning institutions based on the criteria outlined above.

Meet our Experts

The foodCIRCUS consortium is proud to present an international jury composed of experts from Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, and Italy. Each jury member brings a unique perspective – from education, science and public health to food distribution and corporate sustainability.

Their combined experience ensures a thoughtful and well-rounded evaluation of the TOP-10 submissions, honoring impactful initiatives and creative ideas from schools and kindergartens throughout the foodCIRCUS project region.

Alena Paldusová

Manager at the Albert Foundation (established by the retail company Albert)

Dominik Heizmann

WWF Austria

Program Manager Sustainable Food Systems

Balázs Cseh

Hungarian Food Bank Association

Founder/President

Sylwia Majcher

Environmental educator, journalist, and bestselling author on zero waste and food waste

Marina Fridel

Sector for Collective Prevention and Public Health, Directorate General for Health and Welfare, Emilia-Romagna Region

Prizes

The three winners will receive gift vouchers selected by themselves

🥇750 Euro

🥈500 Euro

🥉250 Euro

The winners will receive gift vouchers or prizes of their choice worth €750 (1st place), €500 (2nd place), or €250 (3rd place). Cash payment or conversion into other services is not possible. Prizes are non-transferable. If a designated prize is unavailable, the organizers reserve the right to provide an equivalent substitute. Legal recourse is excluded. In the Czech Republic, only non-cash prizes (no vouchers) will be awarded.

Vouchers

Official “Food Waste Hero” certificate

Promotion of the winning project on the foodCIRCUS website and social media

Join us in inspiring others to value food and reduce waste!

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse