Councilor Urges Reduction of School Food Waste; Hsinchu City Government to Adjust Menus and Promote Food Education

(CNA, Lu Kang-cheng, Hsinchu City, May 29) New Power Party Hsinchu City Councilor Liao Tzu-chi stated that the ban on using food waste for pig feed starting next year could trigger a treatment crisis, and the city government should implement waste reduction at the source in schools. The Hsinchu City Education Department responded that schools have already included regular reviews and menu revisions, and will strengthen guidance on food waste reduction in the future. The Executive Yuan passed a report at the end of 2025 on "Adjusting the policy of using food waste for pig feed in response to African Swine Fever and food waste disposal," stipulating that the deadline for using food waste for pig feed is December 31, 2026, and that it will fully transition to feed-based pig farming starting in 2027. Liao Tzu-chi pointed out in a question at the Hsinchu City Council today that the Hsinchu City Environmental Protection Bureau's Jinshui landfill has repeatedly caused public complaints due to foul odors. The main reason is that the current period is a buffer for the transition of food waste pig farming, causing the high-efficiency food waste plant to be at full capacity for a long time. Liao Tzu-chi said that after the total ban on food waste pig farming next year, more than 30 tons of food waste must be digested every day. Expanding hardware equipment is only a temporary solution; it is necessary to implement "reduction at the source" simultaneously. For example, as free school lunches will be promoted in the future, the Education Department should immediately incorporate the review of leftovers into the mechanism of each school. The Hsinchu City Education Department stated to CNA reporters in writing that schools have incorporated the situation of leftovers into the regular review of the lunch working committee and are rolling out revisions to menu content based on students' daily intake and leftovers. The Education Department pointed out that it will strengthen guidance for each school in the future, with chefs, nutritionists, and lunch-related personnel jointly reviewing the causes of leftovers, reviewing meal times, strengthening food education and nutritional promotion, and continuing to move in the direction of "reduction at the source, food education, and environmental co-prosperity" to reduce school leftovers and food waste. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun)