Document Type
Honors Thesis
Publication Date
Spring 2019
Abstract
Food waste is an ever-growing problem in this country and hospitals are large producers of food waste. Food is something that is beneficial to everyone on the planet, but when wasted, it creates added methane gas production which contributes to the greenhouse gas effect. There is a paucity in the literature concerning industry specific food waste disposal processes. To add knowledge about food waste in Maine, a 24-question survey was used to ask healthcare organizations nutritional and environmental personnel about, food disposal, reuse, and environmental sustainability efforts. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The response rate was low, however the data provided some insight into food waste in healthcare institutions. With a better understanding, new efforts can focus to food waste reduction, circular economy support, and environmental sustainability.
Recommended Citation
Goulding, Jennifer, "Barriers to Hospital Food Waste: A Pilot Exploratory Study" (2019). Honors College. 521.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/521