Did you know that diners in the CZU canteen throw away around 60 kg of food every day? This equals about 750 portions per month, and more than 3.6 tons of food per semester – roughly the weight of an adult elephant!
What can we do about it?
Sustainability as an Everyday Choice
The campaign “Každý talíř se počítá / Every Plate Counts” was created as part of the Smart Canteen 2025 initiative, whose main goal is to draw attention to the issue of food waste and show that even small everyday decisions made by each diner can have a significant impact.
The authors of the campaign aim to change the way students, staff, and visitors of the university perceive food – not as something taken for granted, but as something valuable.
Every unfinished dish represents not only wasted food but also all the resources needed to produce it: soil, water, human effort, and energy.
“We wanted people to realize that even a small change can make a big difference,” explain the campaign authors. “When we take only as much food as we can actually eat, we help reduce waste and contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle.”
A Student Initiative with Real Impact
The “Every Plate Counts” campaign originated as a student initiative and became one of the three award-winning projects in the Campus Sustainability Challenge 2025.
Vice-Rector for Sustainability Lenka Wimmerová notes:
“CZU has long supported activities that connect responsibility, education, and innovation. This project is an excellent example of how students can turn their ideas into concrete action.”
Social Responsibility Manager Anna Tvrdíková adds:
“In February 2025, the EU set an ambitious goal for Member States to achieve a 10% reduction in food waste in production and processing, and a 30% reduction in retail, gastronomy, and households, by 2030. Food waste is a major issue, so I am very pleased that students came up with this initiative on their own. I believe we will succeed in reducing the amount of food waste to a minimum.”
Every Plate Counts
During the winter semester of 2025/2026, with the support of the canteen operator Delirest, the number of meals served in the CZU canteen and the amount of food waste generated were monitored and recorded. This included all leftover food that diners placed on the conveyor belt after eating, from where it went straight into the trash bin.
In the upcoming summer semester, the measurements will continue – this time focusing on the impact of the information campaign against food waste. During this period, current results and the amount of food saved will be published regularly on this website.
The campaign serves as a personal challenge for everyone who eats in the university canteen and wants to support sustainability through their everyday behavior.
Support
The “Every Plate Counts” campaign has been created with the support of CZU (Halls of Residence and Refectory, Sustainability and Development Office) and Delirest services s.r.o.
Thank you.
| Before the campaign, the average production was | 300 kg/week | ||
| 60 kg/day | |||
Start of the campaign 11.3.2026 |
|||
| Week od camp. | Date | Number of kg saved | Notes |
| 1. | 9.-13.2. | 20 | |
| 2. | 16.-20.2 | 80 | |
| 3. | 23.-27.2 | 40 | |
| 4. | 2.-6.3. | 70 | |
| 5. | 9.-13.3. | 50 | |
| 6. | 16.-20.3. | 40 | |
| 7. | 23-27.3 | 30 | |
| 8. | 30.3-3.4 | 20 | |
| 9. | 6.4-10.4 | 30 | |
| 10. | 13.4-17.4 | 0 | |
| 11. | 20-24.4 | 30 | |
| 12. | 27.4-1.5 | 40 | |
Project authors
Vladimír Kořínek (QUALIM, 1st year)
Vojtěch Malecha (QUALIM, 1st year)
Related links:
Food waste reduction targets - Food Safety - European Commission
450 kg Reduction in Food Waste: Student Campaign at the CZU Canteen Helped Save More Than 1,000 Meals
The Every Plate Counts awareness campaign, implemented during the 2025/2026 summer semester at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) canteen, contributed to a reduction of 450 kilograms of food waste. This amount is equivalent to approximately 1,120 to 1,290 meal portions that were prevented from ending up as waste. The success of the initiative also attracted the attention of the canteen’s operator, Delirest, which is now considering the adoption of the campaign's educational materials across its dining facilities throughout the Czech Republic.
The campaign was developed by Vojtěch Malecha and Vladimír Kořínek, students of the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources at CZU, as part of the student competition Campus Sustainability Challenge. The project was supported by the Sustainability Office of the CZU Rectorate, in cooperation with the CZU Halls of Residence and Refectory and Delirest.
The objective of this student-led initiative was to raise awareness of food waste and provide diners with practical guidance on how to reduce it. The campaign reached members of the university community through a broad range of communication channels, including table displays in the canteen, digital screens and information totems across the campus, the university intranet, the Sustainability Office website, and the university podcast.
Measurable Impact Despite Comparable Attendance Levels
The evaluation of the campaign is based on data provided by the Delirest. For the purpose of a meaningful comparison, the period from February to April 2025 was compared with the corresponding period in 2026.
Canteen attendance remained largely consistent year on year. Between February and April 2025, a total of 65,530 lunches were served, compared with 63,130 lunches during the same period in 2026, representing a decline of less than 4 %. Despite these comparable attendance figures, the canteen generated 450 kilograms less food waste in 2026.
Awareness-Raising That Delivers Results
The campaign's outcomes demonstrate that awareness-raising initiatives can be highly effective within a university environment. Even relatively small changes in individual behaviour can generate substantial collective benefits and significantly reduce food waste.
This achievement would not have been possible without a collaborative effort. In addition to the initiative and commitment of the student authors, the project benefited from the support of the Sustainability Office of the CZU Rectorate, the cooperation of the CZU Halls of Residence and Refectory, and Delirest. Above all, it was made possible by the responsible approach of the diners themselves, whose actions confirmed that every plate truly counts.
Vojtěch Malecha and Vladimír Kořínek Authors of the Every Plate Counts campaign