Hi lifelong learners!
This blog post is going to cover how FoodCycler technology can be a powerful educational resource in the classroom, and beyond!
Partnered With EcoSchools
FoodCycler's partnership with EcoSchools allows us to support key learning objectives within Canadian schools.
EcoSchools Canada offers a certification program for elementary through secondary schools, nurturing environmental learning and climate action. Our innovative and bilingual certification program is free for publicly funded schools, it helps to incentivize, track and reward environmental actions that reduce energy and waste, raise awareness and incorporate environmental learning into curriculum.¹
The Benefits of FoodCycler In Schools: Hands-On Learning & Sustainable Citizenship
The FoodCycler provides students of all ages with authentic, hands-on learning opportunities that can be seamlessly integrated into the curriculum. It is a powerful tool for exploring important topics for modern schools!
Supports Curriculum
Using the FoodCycler in classrooms supports various aspects of school curricula, particularly STEM-related topics.
Please note:
Information gathered about curriculum below is based on the Ontario Government's standardized curriculum. Curriculum is fairly standardized across Canada, while curriculum in the United States' varies from state to state. Regardless of where your school is located, the FoodCycler has proven to be a helpful tool for teachers supporting learning in key topics such as Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Social Studies.
Engineered Excellence: Learning About Structures & Mechanisms
FoodCycler is an energy-efficient machine which uses electricity to grind, heat and turn food waste. As a machine that relies on energy, students can learn about the unit's functions, how it is made and how it can be used in different ways. This supports learning in key areas of STEM curricula, such as relating science and technology to our changing world, the practical applications of science and technology in everyday life for people with diverse lived experiences, and the responsible use of energy at home and beyond.
"Our students are really having a great time working with the FoodCycler. Learning a lot, too!" Steindorf Teacher
Life Systems: Soil Health and Food Systems
Weight & Volume: Hands-On Mathematics
The FoodCycler reduces food waste by up to 90% of its original volume and most of its original weight by eliminating the liquid contained in organics.
Did you know?
A large percentage of organic waste is actually water! Vegetables, fruits, cheese and meat all contain varying amounts of liquid: on average, food waste moisture content is in the range of 48-95% depending on the source and type of waste.²
The magical transformation of wet, heavy food waste to dry, lightweight soil amendment provides students with an opportunity to compare the volume, weight and mass of items pre- and post- processing. Students can use this tool to experiment with the impact of liquids on weight and volumes of different organic materials, and interpret data at each end of the transformation from food waste to soil amendment.
Cross-Curricular and Integrated Learning:
An important element of every curriculum is the integration of learning opportunities that help develop children's sense of citizenship, personal responsibility and supports overall curriculum goals through positive lived experiences.
Sustainability & Stewardship: Personal Responsibility In an Interrelated World
Contributing to a circular economy, the FoodCycler is a powerful tool that helps individuals take ownership of their food waste, and use it to nourish the earth. Using the FoodCycler can help teachers convey the positive impact that diverting food waste from landfills has on our environment, and the positive impact recycled food waste can have on soil health. Leveraging technology that makes daily sustainable efforts easy and convenient can encourage students to find innovative ways of reducing their carbon footprint and make a positive change in their lives.
Environmental education is both the responsibility of the entire education community and a rich opportunity for cross-curricular learning. It can be taught across subjects and grades, providing context that can enrich and enliven learning in all subject areas. It also provides opportunities for critical thinking, learning about citizenship, and developing personal responsibility. It offers students the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their role in society, and their dependence on one another and on the Earth’s natural systems.³
School Gardens and Growing Healthy Food
As we've seen, FoodCycler transforms food waste into a powerful "Foodilizer", or soil amendment, which can be used to nourish plant growth and overall soil health. Using FoodCycler, students can transform their lunches and leftovers into even more food by integrating the Foodilizer from their scraps into their school garden. This inspires conversations around circular economies, and demonstrates how "waste" can function as an important resource within a circular food system.
Using Foodilizer in the garden can also launch conversations about soil health, nutrient requirements for plant growth, and the carbon sequestration potential of healthy soil in the fight against climate change!
Given that healthy foods produce healthy Foodilizer, the FoodCycler can also be used as a tool to teach students about the benefits of eating whole foods that are low in saturated fats, sugars and sodium. Studies show that children are significantly more likely to eat vegetables if they've had a hand in growing them!⁴
FoodCycler In Schools: Other Uses
The FoodCycler is not only an incredible learning tool for teachers and students; this powerful machine is also highly useful in waste management and landscaping.
Waste Management
By processing school organic waste into a dry, lightweight, low-odour by-product, this empowers facilities staff to reduce garbage pick-up regularity, thus potentially lowering waste management and labour costs. By reducing the amount of food waste volume by up to 90%, this also means that waste rooms and dumpsters will smell considerably better between pickups!
Landscaping & Garden Care
Because Foodilizer is such a powerful fertilizer, any landscaping soil will benefit from the nutrients this in-house soil amendment has to offer! Simply mix in Foodilizer to landscaping soil or garden beds at a ratio of 1 part Foodilizer to 20 parts soil. Using Foodilizer in garden soil is scientifically proven to nourish plants and soil!
Reducing Food Waste In Canteens and Staff Rooms
The FoodCycler offers a unique opportunities to anyone who would like to reduce their food waste, and kick the "ick" factor out of their working and living spaces. Staff can collect their scraps in the FoodCycler's removable bucket, and run cycle at their convenience once the bucket is full. The unit will transform food waste into a dry, odourless powder in hours with just the push of button, so there is no tough learning curve for busy teachers or administration staff!
Conclusion
FoodCyclers in schools offer many opportunities to develop student abilities across various curriculum subjects, as well as those soft skills kids need to be able to live healthy, balanced lives. FoodCyclers are also powerful tools in overall waste management, as they divert up to 90% of food waste from landfills, and keep your work spaces clean and odour-free!
References
- EcoSchools Canada - Every School an EcoSchool. (2021). FoodCycler for Schools - EcoSchools Canada.
- Czubaszek, R., Agnieszka Wysocka-Czubaszek and Rafał Tyborowski (2022). Methane Production Potential from Apple Pomace, Cabbage Leaves, Pumpkin Residue and Walnut Husks. Applied Sciences, [online] 12(12), pp.6128–6128. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/app12126128.
- Gov.on.ca. (2024). Curriculum and Resources. [online] Available at: https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/program-planning/cross-curricular-and-integrated-learning/environmental-education [Accessed 23 Oct. 2024].
- Klemmer, C.D., Waliczek, T.M. and Zajicek. J.M., “Growing Minds: The Effect of a School Gardening Program on the Science Achievement of Elementary Students," HortTechnology, July-September 2005, pgs. 448-452.
A Note on Terminology
The FoodCycler® is a countertop electric food waste recycler that breaks down food scraps through a mechanical process into a dry, lightweight by-product that can be used in gardening applications as a fertilizer. The FoodCycler® and other electric food waste recyclers are not composters, nor do they produce compost or soil as they do not require additional microbes to break down food waste with bacteria. However, the term "electric composter" has been used to describe electric food waste recyclers.