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The collaborations will enable Dolce, which caters for one in 20 schools in England, to further minimise the environmental impact of its operations while supporting local communities and contributing to renewable energy generation.

Olio works with schools to ensure that any good-to-eat surplus meals are rescued and shared with the local community through its app-based network of volunteers. The initiative allows schools to reduce food waste while helping families and residents in their local area access nutritious food that might otherwise go to waste.

The partnership comes at a time when food insecurity remains a pressing issue across the UK, with around 11 million adults experiencing food insecurity and an estimated four million children starting the day hungry.

ReFood collects unavoidable food waste that would ordinarily go to landfill and processes it at its anaerobic digestion facilities into biogas. Across ReFood’s three UK plants, this biogas generates enough electricity to power around 13,600 homes every year.

With more than 130,000 meals prepared daily across its network of 650 schools, the partnerships form part of Dolce’s wider sustainability strategy. Dolce aims to ensure that as little food as possible goes to waste while maximising the positive impact of the meals it serves every day in schools across the UK.

Ben Sheppard, operations director at Dolce Schools Catering, said: “Reducing food waste has always been a key part of how we operate at Dolce. Our teams work hard every day to plan menus carefully, manage stock effectively and ensure that as much food as possible is enjoyed by pupils.

“However, in a school environment it’s not possible to eliminate food waste entirely. Pupil numbers can vary day-to-day, and uptake of school lunches can fluctuate. That’s where our partnerships with ReFood and Olio make such a difference. They allow us to ensure that any unavoidable waste is handled responsibly - whether that’s being turned into renewable energy or shared with members of the local community who need it.”

One of the first schools to benefit from Dolce’s initiative is Hawarden High School in Flintshire, where the partnerships launched in February this year.

Simon Budgen, headteacher at Hawarden High School, added: “Working with Dolce, Olio and ReFood has completely changed how we approach food waste at Hawarden High School. Instead of worrying about unavoidable waste, we now know that anything left over will either be transformed into renewable energy or shared with people in the local community who can benefit from it.

“It’s incredibly positive for the school. Our students are becoming more aware of sustainability, and staff feel proud to be part of a system that ensures surplus food is used responsibly rather than going to waste. It’s a simple idea but one that’s making a real difference.”