As part of the Future Innovators Labs (FILS) activities, in early April, students from Forssa Vocational Institute, Häme region, Finland, travelled to Burgos, Spain, under the RUN-EU initiative.

There, they partnered with La Flora, a local secondary school specialising in hospitality, to explore ways to reduce food waste. Mixed student groups collaborated through Stanford University’s 5-step design thinking model: empathise, define, ideate, prototype, and test.

The week began with info sessions on waste sorting in Finland and Spain, highlighting cultural differences, such as how leftover food is handled or how stray animals factor into food waste. Students also shared personal recycling habits and discussed tourism’s environmental impact, especially in Mediterranean regions.

Throughout the week, several creative solutions emerged:

• An app for La Flora students to earn eco-points through recycling, with partner-sponsored rewards.
• A flexible restaurant menu offering various portion sizes and discounts on surplus food.
• A “waste buffet” concept in grocery stores, with surprise discount events.
• A recycling competition to boost awareness of biowaste sorting at La Flora.