NEARLY three tonnes of food waste were generated at Galashiels Academy in 2016 – an increase of around 500 per cent on the previous year.

That puts the 900-pupil school at the top of the league of the region’s nine secondaries from which a total of over 14 tonnes of food was discarded – up from 8.8 tonnes in 2015.

The surge is confirmed in a Freedom of Information response from Scottish Borders Council’s catering department to a member of the public who wanted to know the volume of school meal food thrown away.

The response reveals that 2,979 kilos of food waste were generated at Galashiels Academy – up from just 568 kilos in 2015 – followed by Earlston High with 2,910 kilos (1,485).

By contrast, 171 kilos were discarded at Kelso High (84) and 208 kilos at Jedburgh Grammar (54).

Asked for an explanation, a spokesperson for SBC told The Border Telegraph: “These figures are due to a number of reasons, including the increased amount of fresh fruit and vegetables being used by our secondary school catering staff, which in turn leads to more natural waste from peelings.

“All school meals served in Borders schools are made in the region and this has also helped lead to an increased uptake in school meals by pupils.

“Some of the Borders secondary schools now have amongst the highest school meals uptake in Scotland which, again, leads to more natural wastage.”

The volume of food waste discarded at the region’s other high schools in 2016 was as follows: Berwickshire 2,509 kilos (2,387 in 2015); Eyemouth 1,840 (1,949); Selkirk 1,122 (764), Hawick 1,436 (901) and Peebles 909 (681).

Accurate food waste data for the region’s primary schools have yet to be uploaded by SBC’s information department.

However, it is understood the biggest generator was Lauder Primary with 3,825 kilos in 2016, followed by Balmoral and the Burgh schools in Galashiels with 2,126 kilos and 1,718 kilos respectively.