Global Food Waste Management Market By Type of Waste (Cereals, Dairy Products, Fruit & Vegetables, Meat, Fish & Seafood, Oilseeds & Pulses, Processed Food, Coffee Grounds & Tea, Others), By Process (Aerobic Digestion (composting), Anaerobic Digestion, Incineration/ Combustion, Others), By Source (Primary Food Producers, Food Manufacturers, Food Distributors & Suppliers, Food Service Providers, Municipalities & Households), By Application (Feed, Fertilizers, Biofuel, Power Generation), By Company, By Region, Forecast & Opportunities, 2028 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 87.94 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	5.79%
Fastest Growing Segment	Dairy Products
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 123.27 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Food Waste Management Market will grow from USD 87.94 Billion in 2025 to USD 123.27 Billion by 2031 at a 5.79% CAGR. Food waste management involves the systematic collection, transportation, processing, and disposal of organic waste materials to minimize environmental impact and recover valuable resources such as bioenergy and fertilizer. The market is primarily supported by stringent government regulations mandating the diversion of organic matter from landfills and a rising global awareness regarding the significant greenhouse gas emissions generated by decomposing food. Additionally, the growing adoption of circular economy principles is compelling industries to implement more efficient recovery technologies, further driving the demand for advanced management solutions.

These drivers are reinforced by data highlighting the critical necessity for scalable waste interventions. According to the International Solid Waste Association, in 2024, joint research projected that global municipal solid waste generation is on a trajectory to reach 3.8 billion tonnes annually by 2050. Despite this clear demand, the market faces a substantial challenge in the form of high initial capital requirements for establishing infrastructure such as anaerobic digestion plants and composting facilities, which can impede widespread implementation in cost-sensitive regions.

Key Market Drivers

Implementation of stringent government regulations and waste disposal policies is acting as a primary catalyst for the global food waste management market. Governments are increasingly enforcing mandates to divert organic matter from landfills, thereby compelling municipalities and businesses to invest in advanced recovery infrastructures. For instance, according to Zero Waste Europe, March 2024, in the 'European Parliament gives green light to food waste targets' press release, members of the European Parliament voted to raise legally binding food waste reduction targets to 40% for retail, restaurants, and households by 2030. Such legislative frameworks create a compliance-heavy environment that directly boosts the adoption of industrial-grade composting and anaerobic digestion technologies to meet these rigorous diversion goals.

Rapid urbanization and escalating food waste generation further necessitate the expansion of scalable waste interventions. As urban populations densify, the logistical burden of managing discarded organics increases, driving the demand for efficient collection and processing systems to mitigate economic loss and environmental hazards. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), March 2024, in the 'Food Waste Index Report 2024', the world generated 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste in 2022, amounting to approximately 19% of all food available to consumers. This massive volume of organic feedstock is incentivizing the waste-to-energy sector, which converts these materials into renewable resources. Highlighting this growth trajectory, according to the World Biogas Association, in 2024, global biogas production is projected to grow at a rate of 32% between 2023 and 2028, underscoring the market's shift toward recovering energy from the mounting global waste stream.

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Key Market Challenges

The substantial capital expenditure required to establish specialized infrastructure serves as a primary restraint on the global food waste management market. Developing necessary facilities, such as anaerobic digestion plants and large-scale composting sites, necessitates heavy upfront investment in engineering, land acquisition, and processing machinery. This financial barrier proves particularly difficult for municipalities and private operators in developing regions, where budget constraints often prioritize immediate operational costs over long-term infrastructure projects. Consequently, the inability to secure initial financing prevents the transition from low-cost landfill disposal to advanced resource recovery systems, thereby stalling market expansion in cost-sensitive sectors.

This restriction on infrastructure development creates a significant gap between the volume of waste generated and the industrial capacity to treat it effectively. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, in 2024, the latest Food Waste Index Report indicated that 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste were generated globally across retail, food service, and household sectors. This sheer magnitude of organic material underscores the urgent need for processing facilities; however, the high cost of entry limits the deployment of management solutions capable of handling such volumes, directly suppressing the potential valuation of the market.

Key Market Trends

Industrial Scaling of Insect Bioconversion for Animal Feed Production is shifting from pilot phases to massive commercial operations, effectively closing the nutrient loop. This trend focuses on utilizing black soldier flies to bioconvert organic by-products into high-value protein and oil for aquaculture and pet nutrition. This industrialization allows for the diversion of agricultural waste at volumes previously unmanageable by traditional composting, transforming a disposal burden into a profitable raw material. According to WeAreAquaculture, July 2024, in the 'Innovafeed's Nesle plant is now the world's largest insect production site' article, the company completed a major expansion of its French facility, increasing its capacity to produce 100,000 tonnes of insect ingredients annually, demonstrating the sector's transition into a viable solution for large-scale organic waste valorization.

Integration of AI-Driven Predictive Analytics for Demand Forecasting is revolutionizing waste prevention in the retail and hospitality sectors. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, businesses can now analyze historical sales data and consumption patterns to optimize inventory procurement, drastically reducing the volume of perishable goods that expire unsold. This technology shifts the focus from downstream disposal to upstream source reduction, offering a financial incentive for adoption beyond regulatory compliance. According to Waste360, April 2024, in the 'Winnow’s AI Technology in Food Waste Prevention' article, commercial kitchens utilizing the company's AI-enabled waste tracking platform are reporting a 50% reduction in food waste, highlighting the efficiency gains driven by data-centric management strategies.

Segmental Insights

The Dairy Products segment is recognized as the fastest-growing category within the Global Food Waste Management Market, primarily due to the high perishability and short shelf life of milk-based goods. These products are acutely sensitive to temperature fluctuations, leading to significant spoilage and volume losses whenever cold chain infrastructure is compromised. Consequently, the industry is increasingly utilizing specialized treatment processes, such as anaerobic digestion, to convert organic dairy effluents into energy or animal feed. This demand is further reinforced by strict disposal mandates from regulatory bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency, compelling manufacturers to divert waste from landfills to sustainable management channels.

Regional Insights

North America leads the Global Food Waste Management Market, driven by a mature industrial infrastructure and significant volumes of organic waste requiring processing. This regional dominance is reinforced by rigorous initiatives from regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversee comprehensive national strategies to minimize food loss. These federal frameworks incentivize the widespread adoption of advanced recovery technologies, including anaerobic digestion and composting. Consequently, the combination of strong legislative enforcement and deep corporate investment in sustainable disposal solutions cements North America as the primary market hub.

Recent Developments

• In December 2025, Mill Industries teamed up with Amazon to launch a new commercial food recycling system at Whole Foods Market stores. The collaboration involved the deployment of "Mill Commercial," an automated, high-capacity infrastructure capable of drying and grinding fruit and vegetable scraps from back-of-house operations. The processed material was intended to be converted into a nutrient-rich ingredient for chicken feed, creating a closed-loop solution for the retailer's supply chain. The initiative was supported by an investment from Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund to facilitate the technology's deployment and reduce operational waste handling costs.
• In November 2024, Biffa announced the acquisition of Keenan Recycling, a prominent food waste collection provider, to strengthen its capabilities in the anaerobic digestion and organics recycling sector. This strategic move was intended to prepare the company for upcoming regulatory changes under the "Simpler Recycling" legislation, which mandates separate food waste collection for businesses in England. By integrating the acquired company's fleet and expertise, Biffa aimed to enhance its service density and logistical efficiency, ensuring it could meet the growing market demand for sustainable commercial food waste management solutions.
• In July 2024, Too Good To Go formed a strategic partnership with Whole Foods Market to implement a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing food waste across the United States. Through this collaboration, the social impact company enabled customers to purchase "Surprise Bags" containing surplus food items from over 450 Whole Foods Market locations via its mobile application. The initiative was designed to offer products such as prepared foods, bakery items, and ready-to-eat meals at a reduced price, thereby preventing them from being discarded. This rollout supported the retailer's broader sustainability goal to halve its food waste by 2030.
• In May 2024, Divert Inc. announced the expansion of its infrastructure with a new Integrated Diversion & Energy Facility in Harrison, Ohio, designed to process and prevent food waste. The facility was established to convert inedible wasted food into renewable energy while providing data analytics to help retailers optimize their supply chains and reduce shrinkage. This development marked a significant step in the company's efforts to scale its technology-enabled infrastructure across the United States, aiming to address food insecurity and lower greenhouse gas emissions associated with organic waste in landfills.

Key Market Players

• Veolia
• Suez
• Waste Management, Inc.
• Republic Services, Inc.
• Covanta Ltd.
• Stericycle, Inc.
• Remondis SE & Co., KG
• Clean Harbors, Inc.
• Biffa
• Rumpke

By Type of Waste	By Process	By Source	By Application	By Region
Cereals Dairy Products Fruit & Vegetables Meat Fish & Seafood Oilseeds & Pulses Processed Food Coffee Grounds & Tea Others	Aerobic Digestion (composting) Anaerobic Digestion Incineration/ Combustion Others	Primary Food Producers Food Manufacturers Food Distributors & Suppliers Food Service Providers Municipalities & Households	Feed Fertilizers Biofuel Power Generation	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Food Waste Management Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Food Waste Management Market, By Type of Waste:

• Cereals
• Dairy Products
• Fruit & Vegetables
• Meat
• Fish & Seafood
• Oilseeds & Pulses
• Processed Food
• Coffee Grounds & Tea
• Others

• Food Waste Management Market, By Process:

• Aerobic Digestion (composting)
• Anaerobic Digestion
• Incineration/ Combustion
• Others

• Food Waste Management Market, By Source:

• Primary Food Producers
• Food Manufacturers
• Food Distributors & Suppliers
• Food Service Providers
• Municipalities & Households

• Food Waste Management Market, By Application:

• Feed
• Fertilizers
• Biofuel
• Power Generation

• Food Waste Management Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE