GreenVET pathway

Zero Waste in Culinary School

MIEEK Culinary Arts School made Zero Waste central to their training, cutting food waste, winning awards, and growing students’ leadership through hands-on roles and rotating chefs. Supported by community ties and tools like FoodPrint Cyprus, their model shows how clear goals, shared responsibility, and daily green habits can inspire others.

Key People and Partners Involved

Educators
Students
School Staff
Community

Description of the practice

The MIEEK Culinary Arts School faced challenges keeping student engagement with Zero Waste consistent, applying green practices despite limited facilities, and sustaining food donation partnerships. They’ve successfully embedded Zero Waste into all food preparation, training students to minimize waste and repurpose leftovers through hands-on roles, rotating Head Chefs, and sustainability-focused lessons.

The initiative actively involves educators, the local community, and receives support from national and international bodies through competitions, collaborations, and accreditation. This approach has earned them top awards, significantly cut food waste, and strengthened students’ leadership, empathy, and accountability using tools like FoodPrint Cyprus.

Others can replicate their model by setting clear goals, involving staff and students from the start, rotating leadership to build ownership, tracking progress with dedicated tools, and weaving sustainability into both curriculum and daily routines.

Where it’s being implemented

This link might not lead to content in English language. Use your browser's translate function or automatic captions to explore this resource.

The MIEEK Culinary Arts School has already achieved national and international recognition for its commitment to sustainable gastronomy. Winning first place in the Lidl Cyprus Sustainable Gastronomy Competition and securing second place in the global Club Med culinary challenge in France are standout achievements that validate their innovative Zero Waste approach. Equally important, the school has successfully fostered a culture where students take active ownership of environmental practices, demonstrating leadership, empathy, and initiative, skills that they will carry into their future professional kitchens.
https://sch.cy/mi/12/food_waste.pdf

Impact and Results

National and international recognition, including 1st place in the Lidl Cyprus Sustainable Gastronomy Competition and 2nd place in the Club Med Global Culinary Challenge.
Significant reduction in food waste through precise portion planning, ingredient repurposing, and food donation systems
Development of leadership and transversal skills in students, such as collaboration, empathy, and responsibility.
Increased awareness and accountability using the FoodPrint Cyprus tool to monitor and evaluate food waste.

Implementation Tips and Insights

Start with clear goals and engage both staff and students in shaping the Zero Waste vision from the beginning.
Introduce a rotation system for leadership roles (e.g. Head Chef) to build responsibility and ensure shared ownership of sustainability practices.
Use practical tools like food waste tracking apps (e.g. FoodPrint Cyprus) to raise awareness and measure progress.
Integrate sustainability into both theory and practice through dedicated courses and daily routines.

Useful Links and Resources

This link might not lead to content in English language. Use your browser's translate function or automatic captions to explore this resource. Smart Kitchen Solutions provides cutting-edge products and licenses that help kitchens track, reduce, and prevent food waste. Their smart tools integrate seamlessly into daily operations, lowering costs, shrinking environmental impact, and fostering a culture of efficiency and sustainability in the hospitality industry.
https://smartkitchen.solutions/en/food-waste-reducing/products-and-licenses-to-reduce-food-waste/