Schools are inevitably one of the most common institutions to generate wastage, whether it’s food, paper, or other resources; having to cater to large numbers of pupils requires a lot of preparation and materials to be shared with them and their families, like printed worksheets, or paper slips to request consent and parental permissions. However, the wastage situation has been improving in the past few years, thanks to Education Technology! 

According to Government Technology, “Districts have reported that one of their biggest sources of waste nowadays is food from the cafeteria. […] The good news is that it’s a waste stream that can be cut significantly with careful monitoring, purchasing decisions, and storage solutions, all of which can be improved through the use of software and tech tools.”  

Whilst this is great news for the country in its approach to becoming greener, not all schools in the UK are on board with the tech tools that make it possible to reduce the waste of the above-mentioned resources.  

Reducing food waste 

Monitoring food stock and taking food orders in advance with an online payments solution is a great step forward to avoid food being wasted for extra meals. On Parentapps Payments, the Cashless Catering module lets you manage dinner menu options and gives parents and guardians the chance to pre-book and pre-pay for their children’s meals in advance. Children also have the opportunity to choose their preferred meals themselves. Once the catering team receives the reports of the orders for the next few days, they can order stock accordingly.  

Reducing paper waste 

As an alternative to sending paper slips home to share announcements with families, or to collect their signatures for consent or permission, schools have been using online platforms and apps to send text messages, emails, app notifications, and digital forms. Not only does this reduce the overall use of paper, it makes communication with parents and guardians quicker and more effective. Having both communications and payments under one roof allows for easier management for your school staff: did you know this is possible with Parentapps?  

As you teach children about sustainability and leading a green lifestyle to save the planet, remember to do your part: choose Parentapps as your trusted provider to make your school greener and speed up your school processes efficiently. Speak to our team to find out more about payments.