At first glance, they are 6 identical white plates. When held, it is clear that the weight of the plates are all different. The weight of the plates are actually, “The weight of food one person from 6 different countries wastes in a week”. By not showing the amount of wasted food visually, but having them experience it through weight, we created an educational tool in the shape of plates that heightening the awareness of food and had children think deeply about the problem, changing their meal time behavior.

We distributed the plates to kindergartens and held classes that had children experience the different weights of the plates. We created an occasion for children to think about why the plates weigh differently, even though they all look exactly the same. By flipping the plate over, children were able to see the significance of the weight. And by showing children the state of left-over food around the world, it became an educational experience where children became strongly aware of the preciousness of food that they and their family’s consume everyday.

Eat everything on your plate. Children who’ve been told this were finally able to understand the reason why, through their experience with “Unfair Plates”. Children were able to learn about the state of left-over food around the world, how much food is being wasted in the country they live in, and it also deepened interest in the food they consume everyday. Through this, children will think about the weight of their own plates during every meal. As a company that has supported children’s education through publishing, Froebel-Kan succeeded in going beyond storybooks, to tell a meaningful story in a new way.