Young “Trash Detectives” Conduct Research in the Classroom

Elementary and middle schools from Linz, Wels, and the Mühlviertel region are participating. Support is provided by the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, the University of Art and Design Linz, and two local businesses—Honeder Naturbackstube and Winkler Markt. Together, they share a common goal: to inspire children and teens to engage with research, sustainability, and innovative solutions to food waste.

From Snack Leftovers to a Research Project

Instead of dry theory, the focus is on hands-on activities. The students work with fermentation, examine food scraps from their own daily school lives, document data, and analyze it. Experiments take place right in the classroom—from observing fermentation processes to simple sensory analyses.

“When children collect and analyze data themselves, research becomes tangible and loses its abstract nature,” emphasizes Gabriele Wolkerstorfer from the Food Cluster.

Flower Fertilizer Instead of Organic Waste

Particularly popular: the so-called bokashi bucket. Each school receives a kit complete with sensory equipment. Over the course of several weeks, students track how food scraps are transformed into valuable fertilizer through anaerobic fermentation and, in the process, learn how the circular economy works. In other workshops, such as “The Invisible Life of Food,” children observe microbiological processes. Using a microscope, they compare food before and after its best-by date and realize that “past its best-by date” does not automatically mean it’s inedible.

Companies Open Their Doors

Businesses are also opening their doors. At Honeder Naturbackstube, students see how modern technologies can help prevent food waste. Digital sales forecasts are used to calculate daily demand at the bakery locations to avoid overproduction. Unsold bread is repurposed in an innovative fermentation project in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria—for example, into high-quality animal feed. Winkler Markt KG demonstrates how retailers handle surplus food. Food that is still in perfect condition ends up in the company’s own bistro instead of in the trash. For this, the company was awarded the Ministry of Agriculture’s Innovation Prize in 2025.

Science Meets Creativity

To ensure that research does not remain abstract, the University of Art and Design Linz is also supporting the project. In workshops, students translate their scientific data into images, installations, posters, or exhibitions. This artistic interpretation helps communicate complex content in an understandable way and brings research to life. A public exhibition on the topic of “Saving Food”—designed by the young waste detectives themselves—brings the results beyond the schools to the general public.

A Lasting Impact Beyond the Classroom

“FOODSaverKids” aims to demonstrate that early educational efforts raise awareness of sustainable consumption.

“When children understand what’s in their snack leftovers, it can become more than just waste—namely, knowledge, curiosity, and new ideas for the future,” says Gabriele Wolkerstorfer with conviction.

About the “FOODSaverKids” Project

Funding Program

FFG’s “Talente-regional” Funding Program for Regional Talent Development

Project Start Date

May 1, 2026

Funding Amount

129,667 euros

Project Partners

• Food Cluster, Business Upper Austria – OÖ Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH (Consortium Leader)
• FH OÖ Research and Development GmbH
• University of Art and Design Linz, Institute for Art and Education
• Honeder Naturbackstube GmbH
• Winkler Markt KG

Educational Institutions

• Ferdinand Hüttner Middle School, Linz
• HTL for Food Technology, Wels
• Middle School 6 Wels – Vogelweide, Wels
• Elementary School St. Ulrich im Mühlkreis
• Elementary School 10, Linz