And it seems that our students like us here, because the trash can is not even full before the collection, “said the school principal Jan Staněk, who indicated that this situation is longer-term. “Years ago, I communicated with charities that hand over unconsumed food before it is thrown away. Due to its small number, we didn’t go into it in the end, “he reminded.

The local school canteen usually gives boarders a choice of two to three lunches. They are usually one with meat and the other vegetarian or with fish. “Meals are thrown to a minimum overall. We have up to ten portions of our lunches, some of which will still be sold to those interested without a subscription, ”described the head of the canteen, Radka Boháčová.

Some days, when the dining room has a particularly tasty menu, she says nothing is thrown away. For example, next week, the menu includes lasagna with spinach and ricotta, French catfish fries or chickpea curry with sweet potatoes. The portion costs 32 crowns and the diners definitely do not complain. This is also confirmed by the first-year student Richard. “Last year I went to primary school and I must say that the food here is much better than there. It’s not quite ‘like my mother’, but I run out of lunch and sometimes I add, “said the student, who usually says” classic cash with meat “.

Although there is little gastro-waste directly from the school in Prague 9, the project of its collection is of great importance for Prague as a whole. According to the Deputy Minister for the Environment Petr Hlubuček (United Forces / STAN), the share of the mayor of biodegradable waste, which can be further used after sorting, is high in mixed waste in Prague.

“It makes up 30 to 40 percent, with gastro-waste alone about a fifth. This project is thus another piece in the mosaic, which aims to collect this type of waste throughout the city and use it to produce clean energy and biogas. I believe that other schools or restaurants and canteens will use the opportunity to join the city system, “the deputy added.

The city offers regular pick-ups of “brown bins” to the biogas plant on canteens and restaurants on the gastro.praha.eu website.

According to this website, about 381 kilowatt hours of electricity can be obtained from one ton of gastro-waste, with which the average household can last for less than two months.

“Gastroopad is an ideal raw material for biogas production. It can heat, power cars or heat water. It is pure bioenergy, “reads on the website, adding that another product of gastro-waste processing in a biogas plant is digestate, which it uses in agriculture as a fertilizer. The website also provides information on why gastro-waste is not suitable for compost or incineration, or a warning that “unlike bio-containers, waste can also be disposed of in gastro-containers in packaging”.