Youth Voices, Big Solutions: Tackling Food Waste & Plastic Pollution

Explore Our Work

Featured Initiatives

Our students are turning school cafeterias into youth action hubs.

At Cafeteria Culture (CafCu), we ignite student leadership to drive real-world change—starting in the school cafeteria, where every student has equal access. Since 2009, our hands-on programs have empowered youth in frontline communities to tackle food waste and plastic pollution through science, civic action, media, and art, while exploring local composting to increase local resilience.

A group of children stand together by the water, some holding video cameras, with a pier visible in the background.

Our Impact

Scaling up hyper-local youth-led solutions

mil+

Single-use plastic items reduced in New York City School lunches

Microplastic Madness views across 45 countries

student environmental leaders trained through our programs since 2009

and over million

views on our YouTube Channel

A group of students and adults hold protest signs about environmental and food issues in front of a building under a banner reading "2024-2025 Achievements.

Project Report

Cafeterias to City Hall! See Our Students' Impact

Our 2024-2025 impact report reveals how student leadership is transforming school cafeterias:

35-50% reduction in food waste through our Mindful Choice Meals Initiative

161 Pounds of cafeteria food scraps are composted locally

68% reduction in average number of single-use plastic items per student on regular day in NYC Public Schools in standard kitchen service sites

Plastic Free Lunch Day now reaches 4,103 schools across the nation

Read Full Report

Toolkits

Free Resources For Educators & Students

Explore our free resources, including lesson plans for teachers and action guides for students and adults to lead change in their schools and cafeterias. Whether for a single-day activity or a full-unit project, these toolkits blend science, civic engagement, and hands-on solutions to inspire real world action.