• Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • Accessibility options
University of Brighton
  • About us
  • Business and
    employers
  • Alumni and
    supporters
  • For
    students
  • For
    staff
  • Accessibility
    options
Open menu
Home
Home
  • Close
  • Study here
    • Get to know us
    • Why choose Brighton?
    • Explore our prospectus
    • Chat to our students
    • Ask us a question
    • Meet us
    • Open days and visits
    • Virtual tours
    • Applicant days
    • Meet us in your country
    • Campuses
    • Our campuses
    • Our city
    • Accommodation options
    • Our halls
    • Helping you find a home
    • What you can study
    • Find a course
    • Full A-Z course list
    • Explore our subjects
    • Our academic departments
    • How to apply
    • Undergraduate application process
    • Postgraduate application process
    • International student application process
    • Apprenticeships
    • Transfer from another university
    • International students
    • Clearing
    • Funding your time at uni
    • Fees and financial support
    • What's included in your fees
    • Brighton Boost – extra financial help
    • Advice and guidance
    • Advice for students
    • Guide for offer holders
    • Advice for parents and carers
    • Advice for schools and colleges
    • Supporting you
    • Your academic experience
    • Your wellbeing
    • Your career and employability
  • Research
    • Research and knowledge exchange
    • Research and knowledge exchange organisation
    • The Global Challenges
    • Centres of Research Excellence (COREs)
    • Research Excellence Groups (REGs)
    • Our research database
    • Information for business
    • Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP)
    • Postgraduate research degrees
    • PhD research disciplines and programmes
    • PhD funding opportunities and studentships
    • How to apply for your PhD
    • Research environment
    • Investing in research careers
    • Strategic plan
    • Research concordat
    • News, events, publications and films
    • Featured research and knowledge exchange projects
    • Research and knowledge exchange news
    • Inaugural lectures
    • Research and knowledge exchange publications and films
    • Academic staff search
  • About us
  • Business and employers
  • Alumni, supporters and giving
  • Current students
  • Staff
  • Accessibility
Search our site
Aerial view of the Moulsecoomb campus
About us
  • Your university
  • Governance and structure
  • Working with us
  • Statistics and legal
  • News and events
  • Contact us
  • News and events
    • News and events
    • News
    • Events
    • Coronavirus
    • Livestream
    • Open lectures
    • Term dates
  • News
    • News
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013

Meet the Brighton professor leading Shanghai’s fight against food waste

University of Brighton's Professor Marie Harder has received the city of Shanghai’s Magnolia Gold Award for her contributions to life in the Chinese metropolis.

23 February 2022

Normally a resident of Lewes in East Sussex, Professor Harder – also known as Professor Marie Waxman – has spent a significant part of the last ten years working in Shanghai, facilitating international exchanges and collaborations between University of Brighton and the city's Fudan University, one of the top five universities in China.

However, her Magnolia Gold Award – given each year to foreign residents who have made a significant contribution to a city of around 25 million people – recognised Professor Harder's development of a system to encourage Shanghai's residents to better recycle their food waste. Shanghai residents love to prepare fresh food at home, but this creates large amounts of trimmings as waste. This is not only a misuse of valuable resources but is also linked to significant greenhouse gas emissions due to methane produced by food decaying in landfill.

Professor Marie Harder at the Magnolia awards speech

Professor Marie Harder at the Magnolia awards speech

Shanghai skyline

Shanghai skyline

Using Shanghai’s high-rise residential compounds as 'living laboratories', Professor Harder has worked with local not-for-profits and neighbourhood organisations to systematically demonstrate and then scale up the most successful approaches for encouraging food waste recycling among the city’s residents. As a result, the city is now diverting almost 10,000 tonnes on average every day to be used mostly in the production of 'green energy' biogas.

Professor Marie Harder, Professor of Sustainable Waste Management in the University of Brighton's School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering, said: "For Shanghai, we found the weakest link was that residents didn't really think it was their job to sort the food waste. As soon as that need was made very clear to them, everything else ran smoothly. Today, no city in the world diverts more food waste away from landfill as Shanghai and I'm incredibly proud to have been recognised by the city for the part I've played in helping make that happen."

Though now working much of the year in Shanghai, Professor Harder hopes to be back in Lewes in October. In the meantime, she reveals the impact home has had on her in China: "I really miss being in Sussex, but what I carry with me all the time is the community spirit that people have there. I take this kind of community perspective with me into my work in China."

The Magnolia Gold Award was created by the Shanghai Municipal Government to recognise and honour the contribution of expatriates to the city's economic, social or cultural development. The white magnolia is the city's flower, ‘symbolizing a pioneering and enterprising spirit’.

Alongside Professor Harder, nine other individuals representing the USA, Germany, Italy and Japan received this year’s Magnolia Gold Award.

Back to top
  • Facebook
  • X logo
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn icon

Contact us

University of Brighton
Mithras House
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4AT

Main switchboard 01273 600900

Course enquiries

Sign up for updates

University contacts

Report a problem with this page

Quick links Quick links

  • Courses
  • Open days
  • Explore our prospectus
  • Academic departments
  • Academic staff
  • Professional services departments
  • Jobs
  • Privacy and cookie policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Libraries
  • Term dates
  • Maps
  • Graduation
  • Site information
  • Online shop
  • The Student Contract

Information for Information for

  • Current students
  • International students
  • Media/press
  • Careers advisers/teachers
  • Parents/carers
  • Business/employers
  • Alumni/supporters
  • Suppliers
  • Local residents