Did you know that in the Netherlands we still never eat one-fifth of all our food? That can be changed! During Waste-Free Week (7 to 13 September), organised by the Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling foundation, extra attention is therefore paid to preventing food waste and the theme of flexibility.

Would you like to reflect on food waste with your class during Waste-Free Week? Professor Erica van Herpen from Wageningen University & Research has some thought-provoking dilemmas about this topic for you!



Watch two videos with dilemmas below for a preview.


More dilemmas have been developed into a poster for the classroom, to encourage discussion about food waste. Request the free poster now and receive it before Waste-Free Week!

Have you discussed the dilemmas on the poster? After the poster, you can continue with the Food Waste Taste Mission (for years 5-6), to learn EVERYTHING about this topic. It also includes the updated Waste-Free Quiz. Who has the most creative ideas for dealing with food flexibly in order to prevent food waste?

The four dilemmas

  • Do you look in the fridge for leftovers, or do you always make something new? What do you do at home with leftovers?
  • Do you know when you can trust your senses and when it is better to pay attention to the date? And what is the difference between a use-by date and a best-before date?
  • When do you think food is still good enough to eat? Do you think how food looks is more important than how it tastes?
  • When you are full, what happens to the food that is still on your plate? Can you usually judge how hungry you are?

Each dilemma has two options. The students choose a side and discuss their choice.

About the Food Waste Taste Mission

Janitor Kliek has a challenging task. Years 5-6 are going on camp. He has to come up with menus, do the shopping and make sure that all the groceries are stored in the right place. The school also wants to prevent food from being wasted. Can the students help Janitor Kliek combat food waste? The Food Waste Taste Mission consists of six interactive lessons:

  • What do you know about food waste?
  • How to prevent waste.
  • On a field trip.
  • Those who store things well have them when needed.
  • This is how we combat waste.
  • Cooking with leftovers.