Currently much of the food waste from restaurants and grocery stores end up in landfills. This is an unsustainable way to handle food wastes and contributes to greenhouse gas emission (GHG) when the food breaks down. Re-using or diverting food waste could help reduce GHG emissions while also having the potential to improve food insecurity among vulnerable population in Hamilton.
Project Overview
Develop a business case that details the circular economy of food to be operationalized by restaurant and grocery industries, local farms, and other possible food sources to educate and articulate better methods of reducing and diverting food waste.
In Scope
The students will develop and business case and recommendations report that includes examples of financial costs of food waste and associated greenhouse gas emissions, as the baseline and then research best practices and business case scenario that creates a more circular economy approach for handling food waste. In order to be successful that student will need to:
Engage with subject matter experts from the applicable sectors (e.x. farms, grocery stores, restaurants, recycling companies etc.) to inform the business case;
Conduct research including literature review and evidence of best practices and/or case studies in other jurisdictions; and
Identify past and present food re-use programs in Hamilton
Background Research
Dr. S has agreed to offer contacts, while Trevor has offered to connect with a staff representative/Community Partner. Dr. S will provide some background food justice research and resources. Students will be required to conduct background research and examples from another part of Canada or internationally.
Student Team: Samantha Bader, Devan Flaming, Madalyn Morrison, Sarah Ord, Shiza Muhammad
Faculty & Course: Emily Scherzinger, PHD, McMaster University, Social Entrepreneurship Capstone - IBH 4AB6
City Staff: Trevor Imhoff, Senior Project Manager and Head of Air Quality & Climate Change at the City Of Hamilton
