Through an agreement with the ‘São Vicente de Paulo’ Society that was authorised during a council meeting, the Municipality of Pombal will provide the underprivileged with meals that are not consumed in three schools. This project to fight food waste will begin in September at Pombal’s secondary school, the Gualdim Pais Integrated Primary School, and the Marquês de Pombal's second and third cycles.

According to the councillor Catarina Silva, the reason why this initiative is going to start taking place is because “too much food is prepared”, but more importantly because “families do not communicate in advance that the child will be absent”, meaning that there will be a lot of food waste if the meals are not served to someone else. The ‘São Vicente de Paulo’ Society will gather any leftover food after each lunch served at schools and provide it to families in need. The goal, Catarina Silva continued, is to implement this policy in other educational settings.

As the councillor further explained, “We are talking about other canteens that are managed by other entities, but that can also make these cooperation agreements with local institutions that carry out this distribution”. The mayor promised that this initiative's effects would be assessed in order to make it better. She emphasised that “not wasting food is ideal” and added that “afterwards, we will also challenge parish councils and other entities” who oversee school canteens to imitate the effort.

According to data from the local authority, “regarding meals not consumed daily, it was observed that, on average, 18 meals are wasted at EBI Gualdim Pais, 13 meals at EB 2,3 Marquês de Pombal and eight meals at Escola Secundária de Pombal, totalling an average of 39 meals not served daily”. The local authority emphasised that “the municipality’s social responsibility in promoting sustainability, reducing food waste, reducing social inequalities (combating hunger) and promoting health” goes along the objective of this project.