Tampere tackles meal waste issue in daycare centers with 20,000 uneaten meals monthly

The city of Tampere is addressing the issue of unnecessary meal orders in its daycare centers and preschools. Throughout the spring, as many as 20,000 pre-ordered meals went uneaten each month in local daycare facilities. This amount is sufficient to feed nearly all residents of the neighboring municipality Pirkkala once a month.

The primary cause of this waste is that more meals are ordered in advance than the number of children present, often due to illnesses and other absences. These unutilized meals cost the city approximately €80,000 each month. The goal for the remainder of the year is to better align meal orders with the actual number of children in attendance.

Elli Rasimus, the head of early childhood education in Tampere, emphasized the importance of cooperation among daycare centers, guardians, and the meal provider, Voimia. She urged parents to ensure that care days are accurately booked and that they inform the centers promptly about prolonged absences. Daycare centers must also confirm the correct number of meal orders.

Rasimus identified systemic issues with Voimia’s order management, noting that orders lock too early to accommodate last-minute changes. Susanna Järvinen, the head of Voimia services, contended that delaying the order schedule wouldn’t reduce waste significantly, as food must still be purchased and prepared in advance.

Despite the challenges, such as unpredictable child illnesses, Jukka Männikkö, a consulting financial manager for Tampere, acknowledged the significant financial impact of food waste. The city is pursuing a total of €600,000 in savings from early childhood education and preschool services, with additional cuts to summer operations and the hours of smaller daycare centers already implemented.