Oral Presentations: UC 326
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Kaetlyn Cordingley
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Davidson Honors College
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Studies show that wasted food alone accounts for approximately 15 percent of total municipal solid waste in the United States. With the addition of all other compostable and recyclable materials, the total amount of waste that can be salvaged, repurposed, and redirected from landfills reaches 86.9 percent. Missoula’s ZERO by FIFTY plan attempts to answer the question: How can the City of Missoula reduce waste production 90 percent by 2050?
This proposal addresses wasted food through expanded food redistribution programs and the implementation of city-wide three-bin systems (compost, recycle, and landfill infrastructure, also known as zero-waste stations). This proposal was informed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) food recovery hierarchy and is supported by case studies, interviews, and a pilot project in the Davidson Honors College (DHC) at the University of Montana.
Both food redistribution and three-bin systems are practices that will help Missoula achieve the ZERO by FIFTY goal and build financial stability and social capital for fledgling businesses. With the proper policies, infrastructure, education, and access in place, these programs will yield noticeable changes in both advancing Missoula toward the waste-reduction goal and inspiring citizens to do the same.
Category
Social Sciences
Repurposing Wasted Food in Missoula
UC 326
Studies show that wasted food alone accounts for approximately 15 percent of total municipal solid waste in the United States. With the addition of all other compostable and recyclable materials, the total amount of waste that can be salvaged, repurposed, and redirected from landfills reaches 86.9 percent. Missoula’s ZERO by FIFTY plan attempts to answer the question: How can the City of Missoula reduce waste production 90 percent by 2050?
This proposal addresses wasted food through expanded food redistribution programs and the implementation of city-wide three-bin systems (compost, recycle, and landfill infrastructure, also known as zero-waste stations). This proposal was informed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) food recovery hierarchy and is supported by case studies, interviews, and a pilot project in the Davidson Honors College (DHC) at the University of Montana.
Both food redistribution and three-bin systems are practices that will help Missoula achieve the ZERO by FIFTY goal and build financial stability and social capital for fledgling businesses. With the proper policies, infrastructure, education, and access in place, these programs will yield noticeable changes in both advancing Missoula toward the waste-reduction goal and inspiring citizens to do the same.