From Excess to Success: Nine Cities Addressing Food Waste
How municipalities across North America and Europe are innovating food waste solutions through policy and community action
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Food waste is a giant climate issue, responsible for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. About 30-40% of food grown is thrown away along the supply chain, due to imperfect appearance or issues with harvesting, storage, and transportation. The other major source of food waste comes from household or restaurant wastage, due to over-purchasing, improper storage, food spoilage. Each year, 1.3 billion tons of food are lost or wasted, and when this food decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas up to 36 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
The environmental impact extends beyond emissions: food waste also squanders resources like water, energy, and land use in its production; land and water systems are polluted through landfill runoff and excess fertiliser use. People who live near landfills suffer health consequences. This massive waste happens despite nearly one in three people worldwide facing food insecurity, highlighting a stark imbalance between food availability and consumption. Therefore, reducing food waste is critical not only for cutting emissions but also for protecting natural resources and ecosystems, and mitigating environmental pollution.
On both sides of the Atlantic, cities have found ways to combat food waste going to landfills through food waste collection programs, community composting initiatives, and public education about food waste.
1. San Francisco, California, United States
San Francisco is a pioneer in food waste management, implementing the first mandatory composting law in the US. The city requires residents and businesses to separate organic waste, which is then composted and used in agriculture. This initiative has helped San Francisco divert most of its waste away from landfills, setting a benchmark for other municipalities nationwide. The city celebrates almost 30 years of food waste and organics collection, collecting more than 500 tons per day from the green bin and more than 2.5 million tonnes of compostable material to date.
2. Milan, Lombardy, Italy
Milan is the largest city in Europe with city-wide residential food waste collection, engaging nearly all residents in separating food scraps using compostable bags. The waste is collected twice weekly and sent to anaerobic digestion and composting facilities, producing biogas and compost. The city of Milan also has Food Waste Hubs, which are locations where surplus food collected from supermarkets is redistributed to marginlised families. In 2022, more than 3,500 families received food collected from five hubs across the city. Milan’s approach has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by thousands of tons annually and showed how city-level decisions can make a big difference.
3. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver’s food waste reduction and management policies are anchored in its Zero Waste 2040 Strategic Plan, which aims to prevent and reduce food waste from residents and businesses to avoid landfill disposal and incineration. The city partners with campaigns like Love Food Hate Waste Canada to educate the public on minimizing food waste and supports improving food rescue and redistribution systems, encouraging donations of edible surplus food to charities. Vancouver has also established the Circular Food Innovation Lab, collaborating with local food supply businesses to develop solutions that save edible food. Despite challenges such as lack of dedicated city funding for food recovery programs, Vancouver’s approach includes building a Zero Waste Demonstration Site to showcase sustainable waste management. Metro Vancouver reported a 65% recycling rate in 2023 and continues to reduce per capita waste disposal.
4. Province of Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
The province of Pontevedra launched the ‘Revitaliza’ program to address low recycling rates by introducing decentralised composting. Due to the rurality of most residents in the Pontevedra province, a decentralised approach makes most sense. The initiative offers home, community, and small-scale composting options tailored to local needs. By 2019, most municipalities in the province were participating, composting over 2,000 tonnes of bio-waste locally and significantly reducing landfill dependency. Among the 61 municipalities in this province, the municipality of Vilaboa stands out with almost 100% of its population’s organics either composted at a community site or an individual composter. As a result of the citizens of Vilaboa becoming more environmentally conscious, general waste is decreasing and separation for plastic is increasing.
5. New York City, New York, United States
New York City has introduced innovative food waste legislation mandating that large food-generating businesses donate edible food and sustainably recycle food scraps. As of April 1, 2025, property owners may be fined if compostable material, such as food waste and food soiled paper, is found in general trash. Businesses that fail to comply face fines or risk losing their licenses. This policy has significantly increased food donations and improved the city’s food waste management infrastructure. New York City is also home to many grassroot initiatives and non-profit organisations reducing and redirecting food waste.
6. Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia
Tallinn, Estonia, is setting a bold example for other cities through its ambitious circular economy development plan for 2035, which prioritizes reducing food waste alongside waste management, environmental protection, and sustainable food consumption. The city has already implemented innovative solutions such as the food cupboard project, developed with FudLoop, which collects surplus food from citizens, shops, and catering services for redistribution, effectively preventing waste. Tallinn also collaborates with the Foodbank, providing financial support for its operations to ensure that food reaches those in need. Additionally, public event organizers are required to follow strict guidelines to prevent food waste, ensuring surplus food is redistributed rather than discarded. These combined efforts have fostered a cultural shift in Tallinn, where food waste is increasingly viewed as preventable rather than inevitable.
7. Austin, Texas, United States
In 2005, as part of its Climate Equity Plan, Austin set their sights to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, with a focus on incentivizing pro-climate, pro-health food choices. This comprehensive plan aims to divert 90% of trash from landfills by 2040. A new law, effective October 1, 2018, also bans restaurants from sending food waste to landfills; instead, they must donate, send scraps to farms, or compost unused food. The law also requires employee training on food waste handling. This action follows a study showing that commercial businesses and multifamily units, especially restaurants, generate over 85% of the city’s waste, with 37% being compostable organic material. Additionally, Austin is a signatory to the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, and two of its school districts participate in the Good Food Purchasing Program.
8. Paris, France
Paris has implemented a holistic food waste strategy, focusing on prevention, redistribution, and recycling. The city supports food donation networks, encourages urban composting, and raises public awareness through education campaigns. Paris’s integrated policies have made it a reference point for sustainable urban food systems in Europe. Paris has adopted a comprehensive approach through its Circular Economy Plan and Climate Action Plan, focusing on reducing food waste in public procurement, engaging food markets, and raising citizen awareness.
9. Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City stands out as the municipality in Mexico with the most ambitious zero waste plan. Currently, Mexico City generates about 14,000 tons of solid waste daily, with only 32% reused through recycling, composting, or alternative fuels, highlighting the need for improved food waste diversion. The megacity’s food waste management policies are integrated within its Comprehensive Waste Management Program 2021–2025 (PGIR), which aims to transition the city toward a zero-waste model by promoting sustainable consumption and circular economy principles involving all sectors of society. The program includes organic waste composting to reduce landfill disposal and methane emissions. Mexico City also supports food recovery initiatives, encouraging donation of surplus edible food to reduce waste and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
Bowie Yin Sum Kung is a FACET co-editor and writer at The Turning Turtle Substack and Medium. Her work focuses on agroecology, waste management, and regenerative practices. She can be reached at kung@sd-strategies.com.
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