Travis Blackmer

Research Interests
Solid Waste
Small Business Development
Community Engagement

Research Projects:
Materials Management in Maine

Resources:
News article – Garbage Man

Degrees:

  • University of Maine B.A. Economics
  • University of Maine M.A. Financial Economics

Courses

  • Macroeconomics
  • Small Business Economics

Profile

Travis is a faculty associate with the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. His research focus is materials management. He is also a lecturer and undergraduate coordinator for the University of Maine’s School of Economics. Travis is from Dedham, Maine and is a graduate of the University of Maine with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the School of Economics.

Travis was a project leader for the Maine Waste Characterization Study commissioned by the State Planning Office in 2011 to categorize Maine’s waste. Travis presented the findings at the 2012 Maine Resource Recovery Association’s annual conference. Travis has been doing independent research on solid waste since 2012 with a focus on program impacts on waste and recycling tonnages along with analyzing the impacts of attitudes and behaviors on outcomes with regard to Pay-As-You-Throw.

Travis has published both a staff paper on the Waste Characterization study with his former advisor George Criner and a journal article for the Maine Policy Review in the fall of 2014 with Dr. Criner as well. Travis has been the subject of several interviews conducted by public radio, local news, and other organizations. Travis presented the findings of his survey on PAYT attitudes and behaviors at the 2015 MRRA conference.

Selected Publications

Isenhour, C., Berry, B. Horton, S. MacRae, J. and Blackmer, T. ND. Taking It All In: Entanglement, Toxicity & Testing In New England’s Emerging Circular Food Systems. Paper in preparation for submission to Ecology and Society. (in process)

Isenhour, Cynthia, Blackmer, Travis, et al. 2018. “Waste in not the Maine Way” LD 1534 Stakeholder Working Group. Report for Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources, January 10, 2018.

Blackmer, Travis, et al. 2017. Maine Army National Guard Waste Characterization Assessment Report. School of Economics Staff Paper #633. December 2017. pp 23.

Blackmer, Travis, et al. 2017. Maine Army National Guard Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan. Report for Maine Army National Guard. August 2017. pp 61.

Isenhour, Cynthia, Blackmer, Travis, et al. 2016. Moving up the Waste Hierarchy in Maine: Learning from “Best Practice” State Level Policy for Waste Reduction and Recovery. Maine Policy Review, 25(1), 15-29.

Isenhour, Cynthia, Blackmer, Travis, et al. 2015. The future of Materials Management in Maine

Blackmer, Criner, Isenhour, Hart, Peckenham, Rock, Rude, Silka. Solid Waste Management in Maine: Past, Present and Future

Presentations

Isenhour*, C., Berry, B. Horton, S. MacRae, J. and Blackmer, T. 2019. Taking It All In: Entanglement, Toxicity & Testing In New England’s Emerging Circular Food Systems. Paper presentation at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, November 20-24, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Blackmer, Travis. 2019. Maine Food Loss Production Leadership Council Working Group. Facilitator. Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. Maple Hill Farm Inn and Conference Center. Hallowell Maine. November 18, 2019.

MacRae*, J.D., C. Isenhour, T. Blackmer. A. Thakali, S. Horton, P. Larson. 2019. The perceived and measured risks associated with a more circular food system. Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors Conference 2019, Tempe, Arizona.

Blackmer, Travis. 2019. Regionally Sized Food Scrap Diversion. Presenter. Maine Resource Recovery Association’s Annual Recycling and Solid Waste Conference and Trade Show. Point Lookout. Rockland, Maine. April 29 & 30.

Thakali*, A., J.D. MacRae, T. Blackmer, P. Larson, A. Flynn, S. Horton. Does Contamination increase when Food Scrap Diversion is Required? Poster presented at NEWEA, Boston, MA January 29, 2019, and Maine Water and Sustainability Conference March 28, 2019.

Blackmer, Travis. 2018. The Future of Waste in Maine. Panelist. Maine Resource Recovery Association’s Annual Recycling and Solid Waste Conference and Trade Show. Samoset Resort. Rockland, Maine. April 23 & 24.

Blackmer, Travis. 2018. The Cost of Good Data. Panelist. Maine Resource Recovery Association’s Annual Recycling and Solid Waste Conference and Trade Show. Samoset Resort. Rockland, Maine. April 23 & 24.

Blackmer, Travis. 2018. What’s in Your Trash? Possibilities for how to refuse, rethink, repurpose, reduce, reuse, and recycle your waste. Keynote. Belfast Waste Zero Group. Belfast Free Public Library. Belfast, Maine. February 26.

Blackmer, Travis. 2018. LD 1534 Food Waste Commission. Presentation of LD 1534 Commission Report. Presentation to Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources. Augusta, Maine. January 17.

Rooks, Jennifer (Host). (2017, May 4). Composting (Blackmer, Travis as guest). Jonathan Smith (Producer). Maine Calling. Portland, Maine. Maine Public Radio.

Blackmer, Travis. 2017. Waste: Divert Everything…But Your Attention. Session Chair and Presenter. Maine Sustainability and Water Conference. Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. Augusta, Maine. March 30.