Mitchell Center Food Waste Research
Since 2015 when the Mitchell Center Materials Management team was created, food waste has been the single largest component of Maine’s solid waste stream.
Food waste is also a key focus because research shows major financial, social, and environmental benefits from ending waste food and food loss. Our Mitchell Center food waste research seeks to build data and advance knowledge around Maine food waste solutions.
Mitchell Center Research Timeline
Student and Faculty Research Projects
Research Projects – Grant-funded, real-world research that seeks to advance knowledge around food waste solutions.
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Food Waste Reduction (2018/19, DDSF and IURC). PI: Cindy Isenhour
- The Emergent Risks of Food Waste Recovery: Characterizing the Contaminants in Municipal Solid Waste (2018/20, Environmental Research and Education Foundation). PI: Jean MacRae
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Making Maine’s Local Food System Sustainable: Opportunities to Address Hunger and Reduce Waste (2019/20, IURC). PI: Debbie Saber
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Food Waste Management: Empowering Maine Businesses Toward Sustainability (2019/20, Mitchell Center). PI: Susanne Lee
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Increasing Maine Consumer Food Waste Education and Awareness (2020/2022, Maine DEP). PI: Susanne Lee
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Building Maine’s Circular (Zero-Waste) Food System Infrastructure (2021/2022, RRF). PI: Jesse Minor, Susanne Lee
Mitchell Center Food Waste Research Products
Research Products – Real-world, research-based products- academic articles, scholarly papers, and public policy – that put food waste knowledge into action.
Academic Publications
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Saber, D. A., & Silka, L. (2020). Food waste as a classic problem that calls for interdisciplinary solutions: A case study illustration. Journal of Social Issues, 76(1), 114-122.
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Saber, D. A., Azizi, R., Dreyer, S., Sanford, D., & Nadeau, H. (2022). Hospital food waste: reducing waste and cost to our health care system and environment. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 27(1).
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Thakali, A., & MacRae, J. D. (2021). A review of chemical and microbial contamination in food: What are the threats to a circular food system?. Environmental Research, 194, 110635
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Beard-Tisdale, K. (2022). Using Dashboards and Story Maps to Assess Food Waste Issues in Maine. (Submitted to Arc News)
Theses
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DiSpirito, Dominique Danielle. (2022). Envisioning a Bold Food Waste Policy for Maine: A Mixed-Methods Study into the Context of Landfill Diversion of Food Waste. Honors College. 733.
