Craigroyston Eco Committee with Head teacher Lorna Stewart and Changeworks' Education Officer Emily Dodd. Photo credit: STV

A drum roll patters on the knees of excited children throughout the Craigroyston Primary assembly hall. STV are poised with microphone, ready for comments.

The crowd ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ as the coveted sausage on a fork trophy is revealed… they cheer!

It was the end of the school year and I was presenting the 2011 Finish Your Food winners, Craigroyston Primary School, with their prize. They were the best in Edinburgh at reducing the dining hall food waste. With help from Changeworks and Mr Silly Sausage they reduced their waste by a whopping 71%, that’s more than double what we’d expect from a school taking part in the campaign.

Our Finish Your Food activity in schools and communities encourages everyone to finish the food from their plate and only take as much as they need. We go into schools, check out their food waste, explain to the whole school why preventing food waste is a good thing, what they can do about it, at school and home, and get them fired up for action.

Almost a third of food is wasted when it could be reduced, reused and recycled. Craigroyston pupils are a shining example of how a school can make a big difference by finishing their food.

More on Craigroyston pupils win on STV local.

If you’re interested in inviting Mr Silly Sausage for lunch or want to find out more about our creative work in schools,  contact Changeworks’ waste education service and visit the website.

- Emily