The global food system generates between 25-30% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Each discarded food item uses precious resources and heaps pressure on agriculture.
Launched in 2019, The City of Milan’s Food Waste Hubs aim to halve waste by 2030. Each hub recovers food mainly from supermarkets and companies’ canteens and gives it to NGOs who distribute it to the neediest citizens.
Milan is the first major city to enforce a city-wide food waste policy encompassing public agencies, food banks, charities, NGOs, universities and private businesses. And it is working. Today the city has three Food Waste Hubs, each recovering about 130 tonnes of food per year or 350 kg per day, an estimated 260,000 meals equivalent.
Milan has created a blueprint that can be scaled throughout the world. If more follow Milan’s lead, cities may become one of our greatest assets in humanity’s progress toward a waste free world.
Since winning The Earthshot Prize, the team has received extensive press coverage, and have expanded their operations in Milan with two new hubs, broadening their network out to open food markets and school canteens. They plan to spin-out a centre of excellence in Milan to gather and share best practice across the world. The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance Member Deloitte are engaged to explore the possibility of establishing a food waste social impact bond that would open new routes to fund their work – in Milan, and beyond.
Since winning The Earthshot Prize Finalist in 2021, The City of Milan’s Food Waste Hubs have continued to tackle food waste by addressing the challenges throughout the food supply chain.
The City of Milan has used its funding to upgrade existing hubs and open new ones, broadening its network to include food markets and school canteens. More than half of the funds are being allocated to fund an ambitious new initiative aimed at addressing challenges throughout the food supply chain. Milan estimates it will open at least three more food waste hubs, involving over 20 open street markets.
The City of Milan has received extensive press coverage, and expanded its operations from three to five hubs, while broadening its network to include food markets and school canteens. The team plans to create a centre of excellence in Milan to gather and share ideas from around the world.
In 3 years a total of 1,386 tonnes of food waste have been recovered across all of the active Food Hubs, avoiding 3,188 tonnes of CO2e emissions that would have been emitted. Hundreds of thousands of surplus items were redistributed to approximately 27,000 vulnerable people, equivalent to about 1.23 million meals.
In summer 2023, with support from The Earthshot Prize network, the city hosted delegates from 10 US and European cities, with the aim of sharing its model and inspiring others to follow suit. The tour was hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies and organised in partnership with C40 Cities, Bloomberg Associates and The Natural Resources Defense Council. Delegates from Earthshot Prize Finalist The City of Amsterdam also joined.
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