When I was in elementary school (Catholic) there was a woman who collected all of the leftover food after lunch. We’d scrape our leftovers in her special tubs which she then took to her farm to feed her pigs.
You’d think the recycling, enviro nazis in our public schools would think to do something like that now.
And you’re right ... those free lunches (which aren’t free at all) are a waste. School has become a babysitting service for families.
I live in Central Washington. One of the school districts farther down the valley purchased a shredder type of machine to dispose of all of these scraps so that the public couldn’t witness the waste.