About 65 primary schools in Singapore will be taking part in the Clean Plate campaign this year. The annual campaign aims to teach students not to waste food.
Launched at Kong Hwa School yesterday (15 August), the campaign aims to raise awareness on the environmental and societal impact of food waste.
It is the first time Kong Hwa is taking part in the campaign. The school’s principal, Cheong Ye Ling, said that they hope to teach children to order only what they can finish.
She added that students can ask the canteen stallholders for lesser portions to prevent unnecessary wastage for instance.
“Habits are inculcated at a young age and the practice of not ordering or taking too much food and finishing everything on one’s plate should start in primary school,” Cheong said.
The campaign first started in 2013, with only five schools participating, according to The Straits Times.
As part of the campaign, Clean Plate Ambassadors from the organising charity group Food from the Heart (FFTH), visit schools to raise awareness and help students inculcate habits of mindful eating.
They also count the number of empty plates in each schools. At the end of the campaign, the top 10 schools with the best results win trophies.
Last year, the 51 participating schools accumulated a total of 31,000 empty plates. This year, the campaign aims to hit 48,000 clean plates.
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