foodCIRCUS Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE

25/08/2026

Members of the foodCIRCUS project recently took part in a Round Table meeting in Krzeptów, where local authorities, school representatives, researchers and practitioners came together with Member of Parliament Anna Sobolak to discuss practical ways to reduce food waste in schools.

The discussion focused on moving beyond declarations and identifying solutions that can make a real difference: measuring food waste, improving meal planning based on actual attendance, adapting portion sizes, offering second helpings, reducing overproduction, and finding safe ways to redistribute surplus food - all topics that foodCIRCUS partners know well through their work and experience.

We were pleased to contribute to this important exchange of knowledge and experience. Tackling food waste requires strong cooperation between schools, municipalities, researchers, food banks and local organisations.

A special thank you goes to our foodCIRCUS members Beata Flank, Małgorzata Brykarz and Paulina Drzazga from the Wrocław Municipality, Emilia den Boer from Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and Jan Den Boer from Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences for taking part in the meeting and helping to bring evidence, experience and practical solutions to the discussion.

Together, we are working to raise awareness of the scale of food waste and, more importantly, to identify solutions that can help schools reduce it!🌱🍽️

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1438893141394984&id=100058229342357&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=CLXhJlZAiz0P9yHE #

18/08/2026

The experiments with processed food waste are almost complete at the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences.

Under the supervision of Professor Przemysław Bukowski, the scientists are investigating how processed food waste can be used as an addition to suport the plants growth. The results of the first batch of experiments will help to expand and could soon be upscaled!

09/07/2026

foodCIRCUS featured in Waste and Circular Management Forum!

We are excited to share that Petra Foltynová from the LRI ENREGAT | Institute of Environmental Technology at VSB - Technical University of Ostrava and Denisa Rybářová from Zachraň jídlo (Save Food) were invited to contribute an expert article to Waste and Circular Management Forum (Odpadové fórum). The article was published in a special issue dedicated to biowaste and sewage sludge.

In the article entitled “From the School Plate to Biogas: Food Waste as Part of the Circular Economy”, the authors present the main ideas behind the foodCIRCUS project and highlight the potential of school food waste as a valuable resource within the circular economy. The article discusses the issue of food waste and demonstrates how organic waste from school canteens can be transformed into valuable products, such as renewable energy through biogas production.

We would like to thank the editorial team for the opportunity to present the objectives and results of the foodCIRCUS project to the wider professional community. And if you are interested in this topic, we invite you to read the article “From the School Plate to Biogas: Food Waste as Part of the Circular Economy” in the latest issue of Waste and Circular Management Forum.

01/07/2026

Food Waste in Educational Institutions: Discussion at the Polish Sejm with a foodCIRCUS Member

On June 30, 2026, the Parliamentary Team for Counteracting Food Waste met at the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. foodCIRCUS representative Jan den Boer from University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wroclaw alongside Paulina Drzazga and Beata Flank from Wroclaw Municipality took part in the meeting, sharing insights gathered over several years of work with schools in Wrocław.

We are extremely grateful to Anna Sobolak, Member of the Polish Sejm, for the invitation and for championing this issue on a national scale.

The meeting focused on food waste in educational institutions – schools, kindergartens, and canteens – where the scale of the problem remains a significant challenge. This is an important issue not only from an economic standpoint, but also an educational and environmental one: it is precisely in these institutions that the habits of the youngest generation are shaped, which is why efforts to reduce food waste should start at this stage.
The meeting offered a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences, draw joint conclusions, and work toward practical solutions to this ongoing challenge.

30/06/2026

As the summer holidays are starting, it is important to look bac at all of the amazing workshops conducted by the foodCIRCUS members!

This spring, T. G. Masaryk Primary and Kindergarten School hosted two workshops as part of the foodCIRCUS project.

Workshop I (May) introduced the children to waste sorting, the issue of food waste, not only in schools, and ways to prevent it, along with different methods of treating biowaste, with a particular focus on composting and anaerobic digestion.

Workshop II (June) centered on digestate, one of the products of anaerobic digestion, which the children used as a fertilizer when planting new classroom plants, purchased through the foodCIRCUS project.

A huge thank you to Petra Foltynová from Institute of Environmental Technology for conducting those inspiring workshops!

08/06/2026

🏆 Young Food Waste Fighters Poster Challenge – Results are in! 🏆

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Young Food Waste Fighters Poster Challenge, organised as part of the Interreg foodCIRCUS project!

Thousands of young minds took on the challenge of spreading the food waste awareness message through art - and the results were truly inspiring. After a public online vote and a professional jury assessment (Katarzyna Gubała, Dominik Heizmann, Eszter Csenki, Elena Cadel, Ph.D., Rostislav Ráček, Marina Fridel) here are our top three:

🥇 1st place: Szkoła Podstawowa nr 46

🥈 2nd place: Mateřská škola Turnov, Jana Palacha 1931, příspěvková organizace

🥉 3rd place: Základní škola Františka Horenského, Boršice

A huge congratulations to all three schools and their students! Your creativity, dedication, and passion for sustainability are exactly what makes a difference.

A heartfelt thank you to every school that participated - you helped us bring this important message to the next generation and to all the jury members for providing their insight. Together, we are making an impact.

02/06/2026

From Plate to Biomass - Circular Strategies for Food Waste

Check out the foodCIRCUS Transnational Workshop as a side event of IFW 2026 - Insects to Feed the World - Torino 9-12 June 2026 programme!

Join the amazing speakers online or in person in Torino, Italy!

Register here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpivwdQlWPk9yyvmwR3W8SwSSeR-4Fbv0f6ElDEAUptfewOQ/viewform

Hope to see you there with us!

02/06/2026

From Plate to Biomass: Circular Strategies for Food Waste

There is still time to register! Join us for a half-day workshop on food waste valorisation - in person in Torino or online from wherever you are.
The session brings together experts from research, industry, and policy to explore how food waste can be repurposed through biogas, lactic acid, and insect bioconversion, with a special focus on restaurant and school systems.

When? Monday, 8 June 2026 10:00–13:00 (incl. lunch)
Where? NH Lingotto Congress Hotel, Torino and ONLINE

Speakers: Aaron Hobbs (NACIA) · Ruilong Zheng · Wolfgang Gebauer & Gudrun Obersteiner (BOKU) · Jana Vasickova (REPLOID) · Emilia Den Boer (Wrocław University of Technology)

Don't miss out! Register now here:

Registration for the workshop on food waste valorisation and circular solutions, with a special focus on restaurant and school systems The workshop will be held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to join in person or online Monday 8th June 2026 | 10:00–13:00 (incl. light lunch) Location: NH...

01/06/2026

We are proud to share that foodCIRCUS representatives recently met with a member of the Polish parliament (Sejm) Anna Sobolak to discuss one of the most pressing challenges in our food system - the scale of food waste happening every day in school canteens across Poland.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CLqzPtYUU/

The meeting would not be possible without Katarzyna Szymczak-Pomianowska, to which we extend our gratitude!

29/05/2026

From Plate to Biomass - Circular Strategies for Food Waste
foodCIRCUS Transnational Workshop as a side event of IFW 2026 - Insects to Feed the World - Torino 9-12 June 2026

The workshop will be held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to join in person or online:
When? Monday 8th June 2026 | 10:00–13:00 (incl. light lunch) and online!
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpivwdQlWPk9yyvmwR3W8SwSSeR-4Fbv0f6ElDEAUptfewOQ/viewform

Where? NH Lingotto Congress Hotel, Torino, Italy

Organized by REPLOID Group AG and BOKU University

Join us for a workshop on food waste valorisation and circular solutions, with a special focus on restaurant and school systems. The session brings together experts from research, industry and policy to explore how food waste can be repurposed and valorised through approaches such as biogas, lactic acid and insect bioconversion.

Highlights include:
☑️ Insights from the Central European INTERREG project foodCIRCUS project and real-world pilot cases
☑️Practical perspectives on different valorisation pathways
☑️Overview of the EU regulatory framework
☑️Presentation of international case studies on food waste bioconversion with insects (e.g. North America and China).
☑️Panel discussion on challenges, research gaps and policy needs

Speakers include: Aaron Hobbs (NACIA), Ruilong Zheng (Consultant), Wolfgang Gebauer & Gudrun Obersteiner (BOKU), Jana Vasickova (REPLOID), Emilia Den Boer (Wroclaw University of Technology).

The workshop aims to foster exchange and identify pathways towards safe and scalable circular use of food waste streams.

Join us in person, or online!

Registration for the workshop on food waste valorisation and circular solutions, with a special focus on restaurant and school systems The workshop will be held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to join in person or online Monday 8th June 2026 | 10:00–13:00 (incl. light lunch) Location: NH...