DEP Food Loss and Waste Generation Study Published
Organic waste, which constitutes over 40% of solid waste in Maine, poses serious environmental, economic, and societal issues. In December 2023, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection commissioned an extensive study to gain deeper insights into the origins, quantities, types, and quality of surplus food, food scraps, and food waste tied to processing practices.
The Food Loss and Waste Generation Study was conducted by Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, and the Center for EcoTechnology, with support from the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future and funding from the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program. The Mitchell Center team was led by Susanne Lee and Travis Blackmer. The study aimed to understand food loss and waste production across various sectors including residential, institutional, and commercial. Insights from the study will inform strategies and necessary infrastructures to reduce, recover, and recycle food loss and waste, along with mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
Key Findings
The findings of the study represent best estimates and are intended to provide guidance to stakeholders on where to concentrate efforts to reduce food waste.
- Approximately 361,000 tons of food loss and waste are generated annually in Maine.
- The residential and agricultural sectors are the most significant contributors, together producing 61% of Maine’s food loss and waste.
- Commercial businesses are responsible for 130,846 tons, 37% of the total waste, with grocery and food manufacturing being the major contributors.
- An estimated 40,603 tons of food loss and waste are generated from 431 food manufacturing entities annually, equating to 11% of the total.
- Commercial food loss and waste are most prevalent in Cumberland and York counties, which have the highest population density and concentration of businesses.