--- title: "GenZeroWaste students in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria turned sustainability education into measurable action; 30% reduction in school cafeteria food waste" sdDatePublished: "2026-09-02T07:14:00Z" source: "https://education-for-climate.ec.europa.eu/education-for-climate-day-2026-group/topic/genzerowaste-when-refrigerator-becomes-climate-education" topics: - name: "education" identifier: "medtop:05000000" - name: "environment" identifier: "medtop:06000000" - name: "waste management" identifier: "medtop:20000269" - name: "climate change" identifier: "medtop:20000418" - name: "social learning" identifier: "medtop:20000410" - name: "students" identifier: "medtop:20000415" locations: - "Blagoevgrad" - "Bulgaria" --- GenZeroWaste students in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria turned sustainability education into measurable action; 30% reduction in school cafeteria food waste GenZeroWaste: When a Refrigerator Becomes a Climate-Education Tool How students in Bulgaria turned sustainability education into measurable action at school, at home and in their community Food waste often looks like a small everyday act: an unfinished meal, a forgotten product in the fridge, food bought but never eaten. Yet behind every discarded product lie water, energy, land, transport, human labour and greenhouse-gas emissions. For us, this made food waste not only a waste-management problem, but also a question of climate responsibility, social fairness and the way our generation chooses to use limited resources. GenZeroWaste – Generation Zero Waste was created by students in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, with one central ambition: to move sustainability education from awareness to action. We did not want to organise another campaign that ended when the posters came down. We wanted to understand why food was being wasted, help young people develop practical skills and create solutions that would remain part of everyday school life. Our first step was to listen and investigate. A baseline survey collected 364 responses about students’ food-waste habits, purchasing choices and awareness. The findings helped us identify where change was needed and shaped the activities that followed. From there, GenZeroWaste became an interdisciplinary learning journey. Students explored the environmental, economic and social dimensions of wasted food. We created an electronic “Zero Waste at Home” guide (attached down below) explaining the difference between “best before” and “use by”, food-storage practices, purchase planning and practical ways to prevent waste at home. Learning also moved outside the classroom. In cooperation with Blagoevgrad Municipality , students visited an anaerobic treatment facility and saw what happens to organic waste, how landfill disposal can be reduced and how waste can be transformed into resources such as energy. A screening of Taste the Waste became the starting point for critical discussion about the wider food system, while our travelling exhibition “The Invisible Cost of Food” used eight student-created analytical panels and infographics to communicate the environmental and economic cost of waste to the wider public. The exhibition was displayed at Blagoevgrad Municipality rather than remaining only inside the school. We also created our own communication channels on Instagram and Facebook. They became an extension of the learning process: a space where students communicated directly with other students and families about food waste, responsible consumption and climate action. Our goal was simple — sustainability should not disappear when a lesson ends. Th e most tangible part of GenZeroWaste was the creation of two Food Sharing Points in student accommodation. The idea came from a very practical problem: edible food was sometimes being discarded simply because students did not have the right conditions or habits to store and share it. Instead of only telling people not to waste food, we wanted to change the environment in which those choices were made. The project therefore introduced two refrigerators, 90 food-storage containers and two vacuum-sealing machines (financed by Foundation “Blagotvoritel”). These tools created a practical system in which food could be stored more effectively and edible surplus could be preserved or shared rather than thrown away. This was an important turning point for us: sustainability stopped being an abstract principle and became part of everyday student life. Measuring whether habits actually changed We also wanted to know whether our actions had made a difference. The project involved more than 360 participants and used before-and-after evaluation to monitor behavioural change. The measured outcomes included at least a 40% increase in awareness , a 23% change in habits , and a 30% reduction in food waste in the school cafeteria . These results mattered to us because they showed that education can influence more than knowledge. When learners are given practical tools, responsibility and opportunities to act, learning can begin to reshape everyday behaviour. From a school project to community dialogue GenZeroWaste gradually expanded beyond the school. Students worked with educators, families, Blagoevgrad Municipality, external experts and Foundation “Blagotvoritel”. The project reached the local community through the travelling exhibition of the eight panels and digital communication, and later attracted national media attention. Bulgarian national broadcaster NOVA highlighted the project’s practical approach, its Food Sharing Points and its focus on changing habits not only among students but also within families. An especially important step was students’ participation in a public municipal discussion on organic waste . For us, this represented a shift from students learning about sustainability to young people actively participating in civic dialogue around it. Why this is about intergenerational fairness Food waste connects generations in a very direct way. The resources we waste today are resources that cannot simply be replaced without environmental cost. The emissions we generate today contribute to the conditions in which future generations will live. At the same time, young people are often asked to adapt to environmental problems they did not create. GenZeroWaste takes a different approach: young people should not only be prepared for a sustainable future — they should be given the agency to shape it now . Through research, peer education, practical action, communication and civic participation, students become contributors to sustainability rather than passive recipients of environmental messages. This closely reflects the idea behind intergenerational fairness: responsibility for the future must be shared across generations, while young people must also have a real voice in decisions and practices that affect that future. A model that can travel The physical infrastructure of GenZeroWaste remains available for continued use, while educational activities and communication channels can continue and develop over time. The project was designed as a model that can also be adapted by other schools. Replication does not require reproducing every activity. A school can begin with a survey, build food literacy, involve families and local partners, introduce a sharing solution and then measure change. What matters is the progression: understand → participate → act → measure → sustain For us, GenZeroWaste has shown that climate education becomes most powerful when students can see that their actions leave something behind: a new habit, a working system, a changed conversation or a solution that continues after the project itself. The two refrigerators are still there. The habits are changing. The conversation has moved beyond the school. That is what we mean by Generation Zero Waste. Featured by NOVA — “Students from Blagoevgrad created a project to fight food waste” Bulgarian National Radio — “Generation Zero Waste: We are not waiting for the future. We are changing it today.” Explore our Zero Waste Guide 3.46 MB Explore our Zero Waste Guide GenZeroWaste: When a Refrigerator Becomes a Climate-Education Tool 2.1 | Education for Climate priority develop green skills and competences SDG (12) Responsible Consumption and Production 2.4 | GreenComp: sustainability competence focus 2.1 Systems thinking (Embracing Complexity in Sustainability) 3.1 Futures literacy (Envisioning Sustainable Futures) 4.2 Collective action (Acting for Sustainability) 4.3 Individual initiative (Acting for Sustainability) 2.6 | related EU initiative Be the first one to comment Total amount of comments 0 comments Log in Sign in with the EU Login More about the EU Login Sign in with the EU Login More about the EU Login