Maine Morning Star interviews Lee food waste impact study
Maine Morning Star interviewed Susanne Lee, University of Maine’s Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, about a food waste study from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and aided by her and other UMaine researchers, Resource Recycling Systems in Michigan and the Center for EcoTechnology in Massachusetts. “We have been saying for so long we need to get data on how much food waste and loss is being generated in our state,” she said. The study revealed that food waste in Maine emits greenhouse gasses equivalent to 398,235 cars annually, amounting to 361,000 tons of wasted food each year. This research not only provides crucial data to inform state policies aimed at reducing food waste but also highlights the significant impact of household waste and seasonal tourism on Maine’s food waste challenges.