Starting in the spring of 2026, five to seven elementary schools in Kingston, Ontario, will begin using special machines to process food scraps from student lunches. The Limestone District School Board is launching the project to reduce the amount of garbage sent to local landfills.
The initiative uses technology called a FoodCycler to turn leftover food into a dried material that can be used again. This project is a partnership between the school board and Sustainable Kingston, with support from the City of Kingston.
Funding for the new equipment comes from the Kingston Community Climate Action Fund. The main goal of the program is to lower methane emissions, which are harmful gases created when food rots in large trash heaps.
Students will use the machines as part of their school day to learn about the circular economy. This idea focuses on how materials can be reused and recycled to help the environment rather than just being thrown away.
The pilot program is part of a larger effort to make local schools more environmentally friendly. The school board has already worked with the city to put green bins in schools and install water stations to reduce plastic bottle use.
