Students Create Award-Winning Recipe Book to Combat Food Waste

2 July 2024 By Johnber  

NewsTogether

Have you ever had food in your fridge that you didn't know how to use and ended up throwing away? You're not alone. On average, people waste about 100kg (220lbs) of food each year, according to the climate action group Wrap Cymru.

A group of students from Ysgol Gyfun Penweddig in Aberystwyth found a creative way to tackle this problem. They created a recipe book called "Sbarion - Datrysiad i Wastraff" (Leftovers - A Solution to Waste), which has won first prize at a UK youth enterprise competition. This book, which is bilingual in Welsh and English, helps people make delicious meals using leftovers.

The team, consisting of Year 10 and 12 students named Megan, Nel, Eira, Gwilym, Anwen, Efa, and Nela, will now compete in the European final in Sicily. Their book features 20 recipes, like carrot gnocchi made from leftover carrots and cookies from stale bread.

One of the students, Eira, shared that they picked a mix of family recipes and new ones they found interesting. They even had a big sleepover to cook all the recipes together, which Eira described as a highlight of the year.

One favorite recipe among the students is crisps made from potato skins. Eira mentioned that this recipe turns something you’d usually throw away into a quick and tasty snack.

The idea for the recipe book came from their desire to reduce food waste, which has both environmental and financial impacts. In Wales alone, 309,000 tonnes of household food waste were recorded in 2021/22. When food waste ends up in landfills, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

Megan, another member of the team, said that these statistics motivated them to find a solution. The students sold their recipe book at farmers' markets, primary schools, and a local shop called Siop Inc. They also funded their project by making and selling hair scrunchies, Christmas cards, and decorations, partnering with local businesses to support their cause.

The students formed a company called Llanw, which means "Tide" in Welsh, to manage their project. Eira explained that the name captures the local beauty and the teamwork involved in their project. They also created cook-along videos accessible through QR codes in the book to make it more interactive and appealing.

Their hard work paid off as they won two awards: Best Use of Technology and Innovation and Company of the Year. So far, they have sold 55 copies of their book, which Megan said feels very special.

Looking ahead, the students are preparing to compete against other European teams on July 3rd. Regardless of the outcome, Megan said they are proud to represent Wales on such a wide platform.

This project has been a valuable learning experience for the students, and Nela mentioned that running her own business is something she might like to pursue in the future.

The students’ recipe book is a great example of how young people can come up with innovative solutions to important issues like food waste, combining creativity with practical action to make a positive impact on the world.

Keywords

1. recipe: a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required
   

2. leftover: food remaining after a meal
   

3. bilingual: able to speak two languages fluently
   

4. enterprise: a project or undertaking, especially a bold or complex one
   

5. fridge: short for refrigerator, an appliance for keeping food and drinks cold
   

6. waste: to use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose
   

7. ingredient: any of the foods or substances that are combined to make a particular dish
   

8. highlight: an outstanding part of an event or period of time
   

9. environmental: relating to the natural world and the impact of human activity on its condition
   

10. methane: a colorless, odorless flammable gas that is the main constituent of natural gas
    

11. greenhouse gas: a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation
    

12. climate: the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period
    

13. rotten: suffering from decay
    

14. template: a preset format used as a starting point so that it does not have to be recreated each time it is used
    

15. competition: an event or contest in which people compete
    

16. represent: to act or speak on behalf of someone or something
    

17. business: an organization or enterprising entity engaged in commercial, industrial, or professional activities
    

18. QR code: a machine-readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone
    

19. fund: to provide money for a particular purpose
    

20. enterprise: a project or undertaking, typically one that is difficult or requires effort
    

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