Tainan City addresses reports of schools forcing students to take leftovers home

Tainan City has been promoting food waste reduction in school lunches with notable results, but reports have surfaced that some schools, in pursuit of performance metrics, have restricted students from disposing of leftovers on campus or required them to take them home. The city government stated today that these are isolated cases of incomplete waste management and that they have ordered the implementation of proper food waste disposal mechanisms. DPP Tainan City Councilor Tsai Hsiao-wei pointed out during a city council session today that parents have complained that some schools, prioritizing waste reduction metrics, have restricted students from dumping leftovers and even required them to pack uneaten food into lunchboxes to take home. She noted that with over 150,000 students eating school lunches daily in Tainan, and summer temperatures often exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, leaving food in school bags can lead to spoilage, odors, and hygiene issues. The Education Bureau told the Central News Agency that the core of the food waste reduction policy is source reduction, food appreciation education, and precise meal supply, not using waste weight as a single performance indicator, and that students are never required to take leftovers home. The Bureau explained that the case mentioned by Councilor Tsai was an isolated incident involving a student who ate slowly and failed to finish within the allotted time. The Bureau emphasized that schools must ensure reasonable meal times and proper disposal mechanisms.