PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 12, 2026
Maine’s K-12 students discard an estimated 8.4 million pounds of food annually, according to Susanne Lee, a faculty fellow at the University of Maine’s Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. While that represents just 1% of the state’s annual food waste, Lee said it creates a “triple bottom line” of economic, environmental and social damage. The results of a pilot program to reduce cafeteria food waste at Sebago and the other schools were encouraging. Now a toolkit has been developed for any and all K-12 schools. It could be an important resource as Maine tackles statewide food waste reduction goals set by legislation that passed last year.