Project Info
Optimizing Campus Food Waste Management for Energy and Nutrient Recovery
Amy Landis | amylandis@mines.edu
The student will be working to conduct a food waste audit and match/optimize food waste to the most ideal and sustainable management strategies. Student will evaluate food waste minimization as well as other management strategies such as composting, landfilling, anaerobic digestion, and aerobic digestion. The purpose of the project is to both reduce campus food waste and combat food insecurity in the Mines community.
This is part of a larger ongoing (albeit unfunded) project within the group. See more about Landis Sustainability Research Group (LSRG) at https://www.mines.edu/lsrg/
The food surplus/free food notification app is a good example of minimizing food waste:
http://www.universitylunchbox.com/#about and also https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/tools-preventing-and-diverting-wasted-food
To understand food waste to energy, read:
https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/excess-food-opportunities-map
Grand Challenge: Restore and improve urban infrastructure
Student Preparation
Qualifications
Basic understanding of mass balance and energy, creativity, organization skills, ability to sort, weigh and handle food waste, interest in environmental issues.
Time Commitment
15-20 hours/month, depending on prior experience in app development
Skills/Techniques Gained
-Energy conversion modeling
-How to conduct waste audits
-Increased understanding of the contributions of food systems and hunger
Mentoring Plan
The student will join our weekly food waste research meeting. In addition, the student will meet one-on-one, weekly (or at minimum bi-weekly) with LSRG graduate students (and Dr. Amy Landis as needed) for project planning and progress reports. The graduate student mentors will also be available to the student throughout the fellowship to answer questions and assist with technical skills development. When available, the student will also join weekly LSRG meetings to participate in professional development activities