{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/92661"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/92661","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Wasted treasure in the trash: evaluating the diversion and reduction systems of food waste in an institutional setting based on environmental, economic and social implications","abstract":"Food waste is a pervasive issue plaguing our modern society that demands immediate worldwide attention. With increasing awareness, organizations and community members are slowly beginning to create change. Municipalities and institutions all over the world are developing a variety of financial incentives and mechanisms, as well as creating new policy, to also find ways to combat the problem. This study examines the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and its institutional efforts to reduce and divert food waste from the landfill. Data was gathered via in-depth interviews with numerous university departments, dining hall management and staff, students and outside organizations. Based on quantitative information gathered from the interviews, cost-benefit analyses of each of the reduction and diversion systems currently utilized at UIUC are highlighted. Through a separate research assistantship over the course of graduate study, comprehensive waste audits with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center (ERDC) were conducted at military installations. These waste audits have led to several more projects, emphasizing alternative technologies, specifically regarding waste-to-energy conversion. Comparative efforts at other universities along with waste audits conducted through the assistantship were considered, as well as successes from international case studies. During the course of this study, methods for effectively reducing and diverting food waste have been found. Further analyses of the benefits of waste-to-energy technologies, why attempts have not yet been successful at UIUC, and what this outcome means moving forward are also discussed. Overall, a combined, collaborative approach leads to a more advantageous environmental, economic and social outcome for everyone.","abstract_html":"Food waste is a pervasive issue plaguing our modern society that demands immediate worldwide attention. With increasing awareness, organizations and community members are slowly beginning to create change. Municipalities and institutions all over the world are developing a variety of financial incentives and mechanisms, as well as creating new policy, to also find ways to combat the problem. This study examines the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and its institutional efforts to reduce and divert food waste from the landfill. Data was gathered via in-depth interviews with numerous university departments, dining hall management and staff, students and outside organizations. Based on quantitative information gathered from the interviews, cost-benefit analyses of each of the reduction and diversion systems currently utilized at UIUC are highlighted. Through a separate research assistantship over the course of graduate study, comprehensive waste audits with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center (ERDC) were conducted at military installations. These waste audits have led to several more projects, emphasizing alternative technologies, specifically regarding waste-to-energy conversion. Comparative efforts at other universities along with waste audits conducted through the assistantship were considered, as well as successes from international case studies. During the course of this study, methods for effectively reducing and diverting food waste have been found. Further analyses of the benefits of waste-to-energy technologies, why attempts have not yet been successful at UIUC, and what this outcome means moving forward are also discussed. Overall, a combined, collaborative approach leads to a more advantageous environmental, economic and social outcome for everyone.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Urban, Angela Bernadette"],"institution":"University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"M.U.P.","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Urban Planning","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Doussard, Marc"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-11-10T17:49:09Z","date_published":"2016-11-10T17:49:09Z","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:26:35Z","subjects":["Food waste","environment","dining services","waste management","institutions","anaerobic","aerobic","digester","digestion","pulper","waste to energy technology"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright 2016 Angela Urban"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2142/92661","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Doussard, Marc"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Urban, Angela Bernadette"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2016-11-10T17:49:09Z","2016-07-22","2016-08"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Urban Planning"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.U.P."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Food waste","environment","dining services","waste management","institutions","anaerobic","aerobic","digester","digestion","pulper","waste to energy technology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2016 Angela Urban"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/2142/92661"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Food waste is a pervasive issue plaguing our modern society that demands immediate worldwide attention. With increasing awareness, organizations and community members are slowly beginning to create change. Municipalities and institutions all over the world are developing a variety of financial incentives and mechanisms, as well as creating new policy, to also find ways to combat the problem. This study examines the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and its institutional efforts to reduce and divert food waste from the landfill. Data was gathered via in-depth interviews with numerous university departments, dining hall management and staff, students and outside organizations. Based on quantitative information gathered from the interviews, cost-benefit analyses of each of the reduction and diversion systems currently utilized at UIUC are highlighted. Through a separate research assistantship over the course of graduate study, comprehensive waste audits with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center (ERDC) were conducted at military installations. These waste audits have led to several more projects, emphasizing alternative technologies, specifically regarding waste-to-energy conversion. Comparative efforts at other universities along with waste audits conducted through the assistantship were considered, as well as successes from international case studies. During the course of this study, methods for effectively reducing and diverting food waste have been found. Further analyses of the benefits of waste-to-energy technologies, why attempts have not yet been successful at UIUC, and what this outcome means moving forward are also discussed. Overall, a combined, collaborative approach leads to a more advantageous environmental, economic and social outcome for everyone.","Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2016-11-09 without embargo terms","The student, Angela Urban, accepted the attached license on 2016-07-20 at 23:21.","The student, Angela Urban, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2016-07-20 at 23:30.","This Thesis was approved for publication on 2016-07-22 at 11:26.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #10030 on 2016-11-09 at 10:25:44","Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-10T17:49:09Z (GMT). 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Municipalities and institutions all over the world are developing a variety of financial incentives and mechanisms, as well as creating new policy, to also find ways to combat the problem. This study examines the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and its institutional efforts to reduce and divert food waste from the landfill. Data was gathered via in-depth interviews with numerous university departments, dining hall management and staff, students and outside organizations. Based on quantitative information gathered from the interviews, cost-benefit analyses of each of the reduction and diversion systems currently utilized at UIUC are highlighted. Through a separate research assistantship over the course of graduate study, comprehensive waste audits with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center (ERDC) were conducted at military installations. These waste audits have led to several more projects, emphasizing alternative technologies, specifically regarding waste-to-energy conversion. Comparative efforts at other universities along with waste audits conducted through the assistantship were considered, as well as successes from international case studies. During the course of this study, methods for effectively reducing and diverting food waste have been found. Further analyses of the benefits of waste-to-energy technologies, why attempts have not yet been successful at UIUC, and what this outcome means moving forward are also discussed. Overall, a combined, collaborative approach leads to a more advantageous environmental, economic and social outcome for everyone.","Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. 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