Transforming prison food waste

Clean Plate is a groundbreaking initiative addressing the overlooked issue of food waste in prisons with a world-first toolkit, co-produced with staff and prisoners on the ground – because transformative change cannot happen without the inclusion of all.

Taking place during 2025, we will work closely with a prison partner to create authentic, sustainable and impactful interventions on food waste with prisoners and prison staff. The resulting tool kit will be trialled in other prisons. 

Food waste is a growing concern within the prison system. We have the largest prison population per head in western Europe, projected to rise to 114,200 by 2027, and each one of these inmates requires three meals a day. Being such a large-scale system, the resulting food waste is often huge.

Reducing food waste in prisons can bring multiple benefits: cost savings; a reduced environmental footprint; better prison community and staff experience; healthier food; and food eaten rather than left on the plate supports prisoner behaviour and rehabilitation. Will an investment in better quality food reduce food waste and improve prisoner outcomes? The results could be transformative.

Clean Plate is funded by Eat It Up from Hubbub with support from the Starbucks 5p cup charge. Hubbub’s “Eat It Up Fund” has backed 13 game-changing food waste solutions including Big Ideas. You can read more about the grant here.