Welcome to the Action Phase! Here you will find examples and strategies to move your project from idea to execution. Each resource section contains assets that you can use, edit and share freely to help save time and resources.
The Action Phase of any project turns planning into reality. It requires clear coordination and effective communication to keep everyone on track and to ensure everyone's voices are being heard and included. Assigning responsibilities and monitoring progress ensures momentum, while staying flexible helps address any challenges.
Some things to keep in mind
Taking community action against food waste can take many forms, depending on the needs and resources of the area. It can involve anything from seminars and workshops to volunteer opportunities, food-shares and community composting. Schools and local organisations and can also participate by hosting awareness campaigns, offering workshops on reducing food waste at home or in the workplace.
Working with local festivals is another powerful way to reduce food waste, you can offer to co-host an event that links their theme with food waste reduction, celebrating your communities efforts and creating opportunities for new connections.
Community Action Examples: In the resource section below you will find detailed toolkits to for some potential community action, but remember - Every community is unique!
Some examples to get you thinking from our project in Clonakilty: we co-hosted a Guitar Festival event at our local Meals on Wheels, in schools we paired up with with home economics teachers, green school commities, TY students, local chefs and gardeners, we organized events as part of the Lifelong Learning Festival, Culture Night, the Old Time Fair, the Clonakilty Bicycle Festival (A Curry Re-cycle), we collaborated with our local apple pressing group, local women & men's sheds, our Asylum seekers lodge, community garden and passionate advocates for local food, kids health and composting... to name a few!
A Canva template file of Social Media posts to use for organizing and promoting social gatherings with a food waste reduction element
A fabulous series with lessons and activities aimed at Home Ec classes in schools and suitable for community groups.
Promote your new community composter! A link to editable Canva file, downloadable .zip file and word doc with ideas for captions.
A great overview of composting and composters written for the Clonakilty Waste Not, Want Not initiative
Pobal provides management and support services to circa 39 programmes, schemes and services on behalf of Government.
A network of community gardens with support and resources. "Our aim is to support and promote community gardens in Ireland and Northern Ireland and the organisation has grown from strength to strength."
"Do you represent a community or organisation looking to make a positive change? We love to talk to and partner with groups of people who share our mission of equality for all in thriving communities."
A short video overview of composting by GIY (Grow It Yourself) with Mick Kelly.
IOMST provides (affordable) cover for Groups, Societies & Associations. They may be a good option to cover your workshops, community gatherings etc. It is a small firm and you can email them or ring with questions.
A 2017 review of existing research combined survey of almost 1800 volunteers and three focus groups. Shines a spotlight on the many positive benefits of volunteering to the individual and by extension to the local community and society as a whole.
A .zip file with activity sheets, social media posts, logo ideas and programme layout to start your own Apple Festival. See word doc of Canva file links for all editable links to SM posts, programme and logos.
This is a series of 8 recipes that can be used as examples or in workshops. Online PDF. Recipes by Caitlin Ruth, Gillian Hegarty, Clonakilty Womens Shed and photography by Thady Tra.
Community Action with Waste Not Want Not
Promote brown bin usage in your locality via social media! A link to editable Canva file, downloadable .zip file and word doc with ideas for captions.
Food waste reduction tips for business to share via social media. A link to editable Canva file, downloadable .zip file and word doc with ideas for captions.
Powerpoint Presentation on 7 Apps that can reduce Food Waste
A editable word document and PDF to print and use to gather feedback
Survey to accompany householder strategy presentation. Editable word and PDF version.
Printable PDF from StopFoodWaste.ie and the EPA.
Food businesses are often eager to reduce food waste but frequently face competing pressures, along with time and budget constraints. To start, any business looking to reduce waste should conduct an internal waste audit and open up conversations with staff to share ideas for food waste reduction. These steps can uncover key issues, and businesses often discover several simple, cost-effective ways to save food from the bin.
Common culprits like unnecessary garnishes, overgenerous portions, and overstocking contribute to both waste and unnecessary costs.
Simplifying the menu can reduce excess stock by ensuring ingredients are used across multiple dishes, while portion control and offering flexible serving sizes can better meet customer needs.
For food retailers, an audit and internal discussion are also crucial. Shelves can often be overstocked, and perfectly good food may go to waste when it could be discounted or donated instead. Many businesses fear change, worried about appearing "cheap" or losing customers if they run low on products. By celebrating the efforts of local businesses and fostering collaboration, we can create a united front in the fight against food waste. Working together helps businesses share solutions and amplify their impact.
Early in our project, we discovered that larger producers and businesses are being encouraged to reduce food waste through various national government and sustainability programs. Identifying which businesses are already participating in these programs and providing information to those who aren't yet involved is an effective way to help further reduce food waste.
To recap, here’s our recommended approach for businesses looking to take impactful action against food waste:
Step 1 – Conduct an internal waste audit.
Step 2 – Hold an open meeting with staff at all levels to gather insights and ideas.
Step 3 – Connect and collaborate with other businesses to tackle food waste as a united front! Check out our resources below to help you save time and start the conversation.
Canva template file & downloadable PDF of case studies, worksheets and talking points for Food Waste Reduction in Food Business
A guide to inform people within the food service industry of the significant issue of food waste and the potential solutions. Created by Clean Technology Centre Cork
WASTED is a national, peer-to-peer education programme for chefs and food service teams that focuses on reducing food waste in the hospitality industry.
A directory of 'Zero Waste' outlets and markets in Ireland - get your local Zero Waste shops and markets added to the list!
Promote brown bin usage in your locality via social media! A link to editable Canva file, downloadable .zip file and word doc with ideas for captions.
Getting feedback is key to making your community food waste reduction initiative successful. It helps ensure the project is working well and really incorporates the needs and ideas of everyone involved. By listening to what local businesses, residents, and other community members have to say, you can learn what’s going well and what could use a little tweaking.
Some ideas to gather feedback
Use online surveys (e.g., free platforms like JotForm) to make it easy for people to share their thoughts and experiences at their convenience.
Request feedback via email, allowing community members to offer suggestions or voice concerns directly.
Host community meetings or focus groups to provide an opportunity for open discussion.
Gathering feedback helps you make informed adjustments, ensuring the initiative remains relevant and impactful, while fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration within the community.
The first step in tracking the success of your food waste project is to be clear what you aim to achieve by your initiative. A project can have multiple goals and it is important to list these goals from the outset and to check in regularly to see if you are making progress towards achieving them.
Goals you may want to set in your project could be around increased awareness of food waste within the community, reduction in food waste in the home/community group/food businesses, increased use of composting or use of kerbside organic waste bin, or increased number of businesses engaging in redistribution of excess food.
You can refine these goals further later on, but at first just decide what your main aims for your project are through discussions as part of your community meetings. Once you have set your goals you will want to try to establish the situation in your local area currently. This can be tricky to do! If you are aiming to reduce food waste you will need to talk to groups within the community about their food waste currently.
Many businesses will already have a clear idea of the amount of food waste they are creating through their waste collection service figures, however households may not and could be encouraged to undertake a food waste audit (see Resource section for details) or ask their bin collection provider for their collection figures. Chat to your stakeholders, be they businesses or households and ask them what they feel they waste the most and why!
Likewise with composting /using the kerbside organic waste bin, or redistributing excess food, have open non-judgemental conversations in your community to find out where people, community groups and businesses are at with food waste currently. Once you know the communities current experience with food waste and where you want to get to you can track movement towards this.
Household and community group participants can complete surveys looking at changes in awareness of food waste through the project and any changes to behaviour, such as use of shopping lists, improved storage of food, increased use of composting or the organic waste bin etc since engaging in the project.
Business changes can be measured and recorded through surveys or regular check in conversations to see if they are on track with any changes they planned in order to reduce food waste and increase redistribution of excess food. Highlight the successes of the initiatives through community events, newsletters, and social media. Celebrating successes motivates the community to engage in the initiative, building the momentum of the project, and builds community spirit!
The Community Climate Action Programme: Climate Education, Capacity Building and Learning by Doing (Strand 2) is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
The project is delivered by the environmental NGO, VOICE, with support from locally based informal and formal partners.
VOICE is a member-based environmental Charity established in 1997. We currently focus our attention on waste and water issues. VOICE membership represents people from across Ireland and reflects the growing concern that Irish people have for the quality of their environment.
Donate