With community fridges, neighbors feed each other

UW Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences

FSNH faculty Marie Spiker will collaborate with UW Urban Freight Lab to improve safety and efficiency of hyperlocal food sharing via community fridges that are accessible 24 hours a day for the public to take and leave food. “Because they’re decentralized, it’s hard to know whether a micropantry is full or empty, or whether a community fridge is at a safe temperature,” Spiker said. “The sensors and information dashboards this team is developing will go a long ways towards helping us understand the potential of micropantries to reduce waste and distribute food safely at a community level.”

December 5, 2025