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Webinar Description
Monday, September 16, 2019, from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
The U.S. EPA estimates that more food reaches landfills and incinerators than any other single material in our everyday trash, constituting 22 percent of discarded municipal solid waste. This webinar provided an overview of Oregon’s progress in implementing its Strategic Plan for Preventing the Wasting of Food. Participants in this webinar learned about:
- Oregon’s recently completed research documenting the amount of food waste generated by Oregon households and the reasons Oregonians waste food; case studies looking at best practices for reducing food waste in commercial food service; and the results of a life-cycle assessment of food rescue methods specific to Oregon.
- Oregon’s efforts to reduce food waste, including activities funded through Oregon’s Materials Management grant program; the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) partnership with the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association; and the development of a West Coast initiative to engage grocers in a voluntary agreement to work together to develop industry-wide approaches to reduce wasted food.
- Oregon’s next steps, including new research to develop values-based messaging and an associated campaign targeting Oregon residents and new policy direction based on the work accomplished thus far.
Video: Oregon’s Wasted Food Strategy: Highlights of current work, recent research and next steps Exit
Speakers
David Allaway is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Materials Management Program. He coordinates a variety of projects related to materials (including waste) management, sustainable production and consumption, greenhouse gases, and life cycle analysis. In 2010, he helped to staff the Oregon Global Warming Commission’s “Roadmap to 2020” project. He also leads efforts to develop and update Oregon’s consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions inventory, contributed to the ICLEI US greenhouse gas accounting protocols for communities and recycling, and led the sustainable production and consumption elements of Oregon’s 2050 Vision. Before joining DEQ in 2000, David worked for 11 years in the solid waste consulting industry. A native of Oregon, David has a B.A. in physics from Carleton College, Minnesota.
Elaine Blatt is a Senior Policy and Program Analyst at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. She joined DEQ in February 2016, and her primary focus is on sustainable consumption and production of materials, with an initial focus on preventing the wasting of food. Her prior experience includes consulting and managing a variety of projects related to sustainable production and consumption, biodiversity, energy efficiency, finance, and supply chain management, including work for the US Agency for International Development and the European Commission. She managed support for the US-Asia Environmental Partnership, a USAID program focused on working with local partners to address urban environmental issues, including air and water quality, waste management, energy efficiency and renewable energy. While in Asia, she also helped develop and implement a groundbreaking project to bring cleaner production practices to more than 400 Thai manufacturers. She has a MA in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a BA in Political Science from Carleton College.
Relevant Resources
The below Oregon Department of Environmental Quality resources are all relevant to and are mentioned in the webinar recording.
- Strategy for Preventing the Wasting of Food
- Wasted Food Wasted Money Campaign
- Food Waste Stops with Me
Slides
You may need a PDF reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more.- Introductory Slides for September, 2019 Webinar (PDF)(3 pp, 344 K)
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Oregon's Wasted Food Strategy: Highlights of current work, recent research and next steps (PDF)(34 pp, 5 MB)
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's webinar presentation slides