Healthier Habits | S2E7: Live @ Hunger & Health Summit - Economic & Environmental Cost of Food Waste

In our first-ever Healthier Habits Live episode, recorded at the Hunger and Health Illinois Regional Summit 2025, we explore the urgent and complex issue of food waste. Moderated by the Healthier Habits Podcast host, this panel features three powerhouse voices working at the intersection of sustainability, engineering, and community empowerment: Liz Bosarge, MPH (UIC Zero Waste Program Director), Raven Brown (Green Era Community Coordinator at Urban Growers Collective), and Lydia Vulich (UIC engineering student). Together, they unpack the economic and environmental costs of food waste, the systems that enable it, and the community-driven solutions already making an impact in Chicago. From composting innovations to food recovery networks, this conversation highlights how we can reclaim food waste as a valuable resource and how tackling it head-on can support a healthier, more equitable food system. Whether you're a policymaker, student, activist, or curious community member, this episode calls you to step into action.   CORRECTION NOTICE: Our guest kindly flagged a few clarifications after recording to ensure accuracy: Urban Growers Collective does not currently operate on the West Side of Chicago (though food access concerns remain significant on both the South and West Sides). The Green Era Campus is located about 20 minutes from the Loop, within Chicago city limits—not “downtown.” The reference to “phosphate” should have been phosphorus. We appreciate the opportunity to make these clarifications for our listeners.   🎧 Guests Liz Bosarge, MPH | UIC Zero Waste Program Director Raven Brown | Green Era Community Coordinator at Urban Growers Collective Lydia Vulich | UIC engineering student   Guest Resources: Urban Growers Collective 📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/urbangrowerscollective 📘 Facebook: Facebook.com/urbangrowerscollective  Sustainability at UIC 📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/sustainableuic 📘 Facebook: www.facebook.com/sustainableuic X https://x.com/sustainableuic   📣 Presented by CPHP (Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion) 🌐 CPHP Website - https://cphp.uic.edu/ 🥗 Eat. Move. Save. Meal Kit - https://go.uic.edu/mealkits 📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/eat.move.save.chicago 📘 Facebook: www.facebook.com/eat.move.save.chicago 📺 YouTube: UIC OCEAN-HP / @uicocean-hp1379   !! NOTICE !! Due to recent cuts to SNAP-Ed through the BBB Bill, Chicago Partnership for Health Promotions (CPHP) and many programs like it across the country have been defunded. This podcast will no longer be active after 2025, and many of our public health colleagues will lose their roles, and services will end for thousands of families. We invite you to reach out to our guests directly for any resources, services, or information they offer.   If you value work like this, please contact your state senators. To support this specific program, reach out to OCEAN-HP. Your voice matters!   #OCEANHP #CPHP #EATMOVESAVE #HealthierHabits #Podcast #UIC #HealthierHabitsPodcast #foodwaste #foodsystems