Third Place for a Czech Kindergarten “Val” in the Young Food Waste Fighters Award
The Department of International Business at the Faculty of International Relations, Prague University of Economics and Business is pleased to announce the official results of the Young Food Waste Fighters – AWARD, organised within the framework of the foodCIRCUS, Interreg Central Europe project. The competition aimed to raise awareness of food waste and to motivate young participants to develop sustainable habits within the school environment.
A total of 20 kindergartens and primary schools from the Czech Republic, along with 24 additional schools from Italy, Hungary, Poland, and Austria, participated in the competition in autumn 2025.
The highest awards were granted to the following projects:
1st place – Zero Waste Canteen – Competing for Food Sustainability
Cavedoni Primary School, Levizzano – Castelvetro di Modena, Italy
The project encourages pupils to minimise food waste through class competitions, workshops, and family involvement. Students are motivated to try new foods and appreciate meals, thereby fostering long-term sustainable habits.
2nd place – Every Bite Counts
Public Kindergarten, Przedborowa, Poland
Children learn to respect food by growing vegetables and herbs and by transforming “imperfect” ingredients into healthy snacks. The project strengthens responsibility, independence, and creativity among children while promoting food waste prevention.
3rd place – I Know What I Eat
Val Kindergarten, Czech Republic
Children learn to connect food with nature by growing vegetables and caring for animals. Kitchen leftovers are reused as animal feed or compost, thus closing the food cycle from soil back to the table. The Czech Val kindergarten project was recognised for promoting responsible and sustainable habits from an early age.
In addition to the winners, several other projects were recognised among the Top 10 entries. All participating initiatives contribute to promoting a sustainable approach to food, reducing food waste, and enhancing environmental awareness among children and the wider community.
The aim of the competition was not only to reward the most successful initiatives but, above all, to inspire school communities towards long-term change and to support awareness-raising in the field of sustainable food management.
Photographs from the competition capture the creativity, engagement, and joy of all participants in achieving their results.
The foodCIRCUS, Interreg CE project focuses on food waste in school canteens, where up to 40% of all food is discarded. Its objective is to measure the volume of waste generated in school and kindergarten canteens and to propose preventive measures to reduce its occurrence (both on the side of canteens and consumers). The project also addresses the redistribution of surplus food and waste processing (e.g. insect farms, biogas). In addition, it includes an international competition for schoolchildren aimed at motivating them to reduce food waste not only in canteens.
