A Study on Practical Applications of Environmental Education related to Food Waste Collected from Elementary School Foodservices(I)

초등학교 급식에서 배출되는 음식물쓰레기의 환경교육적 활용(I) - 음식물쓰레기 현황 및 환경교육적 활용 분석을 중심으로 -

This study was conducted as a preliminary step to establish a model for the practical application of environmental education related to food wastes collected from elementary school foodservices. Methods of treatment and present recycling status of food wastes in elementary schools in Kyonggido were surveyed. The consciousness of dieticians who have been serving for elementary school foodservices was also analyzed through the survey questions concerning environmental education for the reduction and recycling of food wastes. The results derived from this survey were as follows: The major portion of food wastes from elementary school foodservices was constituted with vegetables and soup, and an average amount of food wastes per day was highest in June and July. Therefore environmental education related to reduction of wastes was needed in the first semester of school terms, and the possible reduction of food wastes achieved through the proper planning of school foodservice menu was also needed. In most cases food wastes were collected and treated by animal growing farmers or composted by machines in school. In operating composting machines microorganism inoculant was mostly used but dieticians pointed out the problem of a nasty odor, insects, and high energy consumption. This situation means it has not been operated efficiently and suggests an efficiency problem of machine composting in elementary schools because composting itself is based on the aerobic digestion and high temperature fermentation which kills insects and harmful microorganisms. Elementary school dieticians in Kyonggido were aware that food wastes cause main pollution problem, and that food wastes are valuable resources which can be recycled, and recycling of food wastes is inevitable. But more than half of the schools surveyed have not been reused food wastes in school, so a proper model for recycling and reuse of food wastes in school grounds was thought to be needed. Environmental education programs related to food wastes have not been peformed in more than half of the schools surveyed. It was concluded that the following three plans will be helpful to reduce school food wastes. First, environmental education should be enforced, second, teachers' and dieticians' intensive teaching concerning food wastes should be needed, and finally establishment of a model for recycling and reuse of food wastes in school grounds and its application to environmental education would offer a valuable field experience to school students.