These days, food waste re-users like the ones featured here aren't your typical "reduce, reuse, recycle" initiatives. Instead, they get creative by coming up with products that tackle waste management and social problems.
"Waste not, want not" is how the ever popular idiom goes. And it's an idiom that's been appropriated by the Western environmental movement to no avail. But there are some necessary learnings from a simple saying. Food waste in North America and Europe is near insurmountable.
Some of the food waste re-users in this Social Business top list are more easily marketable than others. For instance, Batlow Premium Cider is a product created by an Australian co-op that uses apple waste from its farm in order to create an alcoholic beverage.
11 Food Waste Re-Users
11
Well-Wasted Cuisine
FoodCycle Uses Surplus to Feed Local Communities
10
Ugly Food Catering
Culinary Misfits Use Disheveled Fruits and Veggies to Cater Events
9
Delicious Munificent Munchies
Rubies in the Rubble Empower Women and Tackle Food Waste with Jams
8
Coffee Ground Mushrooms
'Back to the Roots' Turns Waste into Gourmet Ingredients
7
Waste-Powered Gardening
EcoScraps Turns Old Food into High Quality Soil Conditioner
6
Hunger-Eliminating Social Media
FlashFood Turns Restaurant Leftovers into Meals for the Hungry
5
Waste-Reducing Apps
'Zero Gachis' Lets Shoppers Know When Fresh Food is About to Expire
4
Wasted Apple Beverages
Batlow Premium Cider Stems from the Australian Co-Operative
3
Earth-Friendly Tequila Production
Casa Herradura of Mexico Remains Dedicated to Sustainability
2
Fresh Perspective Posts
The Social Business Visit to the FoodCycle Cambridge Hub
1
Misshapen Produce Meals
The Feeding the 5,000 Initiative Sheds Light on Wasted Food
Related Ideas
Tech-Enabled Reusable Cups
'CauliCups' are the Perfect Solution for Food Packaging Waste in the UK
Pop-Up Reverse Supermarkets
The Give Back Express Invites Shoppers to Buy and Donate Goods
Next-Gen Food Scraps Bins
Mill is a New and Revolutionary Kitchen Food Scrap Bin
Water-Scarce Product Concepts
The Drop Store Envisions Products from a World with Less Water
Upcycled Whey Protein Drinks
This Fermented Beverage Concept Combats Against Waste
Food Waste Sneakers
Hellmann's Canada Launched 1352: Refreshed Sneakers with Food Waste Items
Efficient Composting Systems
Homepost Emphasizes Sustainability, Both in Design and Purpose
AI-Powered Recipe Tools
Hellmann's Meal Reveal Uses Artificial Intelligence to Fight Food Waste
Gamified Compost Bins
The Smart Palm Bin Awards Badges for Food Waste Reduction
Indoor Organic Waste Gardens
The Conceptual BOSCH Eco-Hub by Batuhan Duran is Sustainable
Low-Value Plastic Recycling Methods
Ashaya Aims to Reuse Non-Recyclable Plastic Packaging
Repurposed Sustainable Apparel
Toast Launches a Collection of "Creatively Repaired" Garments
Paper-Made Frozen Food Packaging
PACK'D is Introducing New Recyclable Paper Bags
Upcycled Ingredient Ice Creams
Salt & Straw's Upcycled Foods Series Rescues Wasted Food
Hyper-Fast Countertop Composters
The Vitamix FoodCycler Eco 5 Reduces Organic Waste by 90%
High-Tech Eco-Conscious Furniture
The WoodenWood Project Upcycles and Utilizes Robotic Printing
Compact Countertop Composters
The FoodCycler Maestro Has a Five-Liter Capacity
Gamified Recycling Machines
Olyns & Mars Wrigley are Simplifying Candy Container Recycling
Upcycled Fruit Skincare
'My Skin Feels' Repurposes Olive Oil, Ketchup & Mandarin Juice Waste
Waste-Combatting Food Scanners
The OneThird Food Scanners Include Three Models
BYO Bottle Drink Stations
The Refilled Refiller Stations Eliminate Single-Use Packaging
Reusable Paper-Made Water Bottles
The 'reU' Reusable Water Bottle Concept is Recyclable
Vegan Hydroponic Nutrients
Re-Nuble Uses Food By-Products to Create Vegan Plant Nutrients
Fully Automatic Kitchen Composts
The PORE 'ecop' Food Waste Composter Uses AI Technology
Digital Sustainable Food Solutions
Special Projects Debuts Eco Lenses to Help with Decision-Making
Eco Storytelling Workwear Campaigns
Patagonia's We Can Get There From Here Tells is Inspiring
Sustainable QSR Tablewares
This Reusable Tableware from the Elium Studio is for McDonald's France
Waste-Reducing Produce Stickers
Grey Colombia & Makro's Stickers on Produce Suggest Recipes
Smashable Biodegradable Cups
GaeaStar Develops a New Cup From Only Three Ingredients
Reusable Grocery Delivery Packaging
Milk & More and Again Partnered for Reusable Packaging Options
Customer-Driven Marketplaces
COS Clothing Partnered with Recurate on a C2B2C Marketplace
Circular Design Challenges
The 'Make It Circular Challenge' Tackles Climate Change
Sustainability-Driven Fashion Campaigns
pitusa's Sustainability Campaign Focuses on Reducing Waste
Refillable Grocery Containers
'Dizzie' Offers its Grocer Products in Reusable Containers
Upcycled Dried Fruit Snacks
The Ugly Company Boats Healthy Recipes That Curb Food Waste, as Well
Fully Circular Fashion Brands
Reformation Aims to be 100% Circular by 2030 with 'RefRecycling'
Concentrated Recycled Container Cleaners
WildClean Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products are Toxin-Free
Repurposed Pasta Boxes
Barilla & Marie Kondo are Sharing How to Reuse Packaging
Soft Sustainable Coolers
Out of the Woods Makes Reusable Bags Made from Supernatural Paper
Timepiece Takeback Programs
Timex ReWound is the World's First Circular Program for Watches
Recycled Plastic Bottle Campaigns
Coca-Cola Promotes the Toss In, Take Out Initiative
Refillable Beauty Brands
Maya's Thoughtfully Designed Cosmetics Combat Plastic Waste
Recycled Wastewater Beers
Epic Cleantec is Upcycling Wastewater into Circular Beer
Sustainable Artist Endeavors
CASETiFY Launches a New Artistic Upcycling Project Called Re/CASETiFY
Digital Food Waste-Reducing Platforms
Hitachi Digital Services Collaborates with Onethird
Umbrella-Upcycling Brands
R-Coat Has Repurposed Over 2,000 Broken Umbrellas
Vegan Sportswear Pop-Ups
Hylo Athletics' Pop-Up at Harrods Includes a Recycling Component
Food Waste Prevention Coaches
Leanpath Uses an AI-Powered Solution to Reduce Kitchen Waste
Upcycled Circular Design Products
Cyrc Designs Expansive Products with Sustainable Themes
Duck-Like Waste Robots
The Conceptual 'Qua' Waste Management Robot Keeps Cities Cleaner
AI-Powered Food Waste Reduction
SnapSnack Uses AI To Turn Ingredients Into Meals
Upcycled Ice Cream Desserts
Salt & Straw's Pints of the Month Help to Reduce Food Waste
RFID-Enabled Tableware
Checkpoint Systems & McDonald's France are Enhancing Reusable Tableware
Compostable Food Packaging Brands
Shanghai Timeco Industrial Uses Sugarcane Bagasse for Packaging
Food Waste-Crafted Shoes
Frank and Oak Showcase a New Circular Zero-Waste Sneaker
Private Label Compostable Cutlery
Walmart Great Value Compostable Cutlery is Affordable
Food Waste Polyester Alternatives
ALT TEX Presents a "Radically Sustainable Polyester Alternative"
Reusable Wet Wipe Appliances
The Conceptual 'Re:clean' Reusable Tissue Cleaner is Sustainable
Upcycled Laundry Hampers
Fashion Takes Action Concluded Canada's First Textile Recycling Pilot
Upcycled Tower Designs
3XN Shows How Sustainable and Cost-Cffective Reuse Can Be
Holiday-Scented Cleaning Products
Grove Co. Launched a Festive Collection of Cleaning Products
Reusable Packaging Initiatives
PepsiCo Has Announced a New Packaging Goal
Food Waste Bioplastics Factories
Agrorenew is Transforming Watermelon Waste into Bioplastics
Zero-Waste Hotel Menus
Hilton's The Taste of Zero Waste Aims to Cut Landfill Contrubitions by 50%
Plastic-Free Alcohol Packaging
The Aldi Recyclable Alcohol Packaging Reduces Plastic Waste
Edible Construction Cements
Japanese Scientists Produce Edible Cement from Food Waste
Sustainable Produce Packaging
These Cascades Eco-Friendly Produce Baskets are Recycled
Odorless Compost Kitchen Bins
The Mill Kitchen Bin Automatically Recycles Food Scraps
Renewable Circular Trash Cans
Mill Offers a New Way of Circular Food with a Shrunken Technology
eWaste-Made Furniture Designs
Lenovo Asset Recovery Services Collaborated with Aectual
Sustainable Modern Dish Towels
Functional Modern Dish Towels Made from Recycled Plastic Bottles
Pet Store Recycling Initiatives
The Pet Supplies Plus Recycle Program Features TerraCycle
Buy Nothing New Campaigns
The Buy Nothing New Month Campaign Was Launched by Keep Britain Tidy
Food Scrap Recycling Systems
The Next Generation Mill is Faster, Smarter and Quieter
Waste-Reducing Haircare Systems
Duo Haircare Pairs Powder-Based Products & Refillable Bottles
Reusable Bag Retailer Programs
Closed Loop Partners is Managing a Reusable Bag Pilot for Retailers
Upcycled Mushroom Pestos
Smallhold Mushroom Pesto Gives New Life to Imperfect Mushrooms
Zero-Waste Voucher Solutions
On-us Launches New Technology for Sustainable Event Engagement
Recycled Yogurt Pot-Constructed Tables
Another Country Launches the Work Series II Table
Haircare Take-Back Initiatives
Aveda's Take-Back Program and Refillable Pouches Help Reduce Waste
Wasteful Shopping Billboards
Not On The High Street's Billboards Highlight a "Don't Gift Guide"
Inspiring Eco-Aware Characters
Little Miss Waste Less Inspires Families to Reuse and Refill
Anti-Food Waste Solutions
Too Good To Go is Targeting Food Surplus Management with an AI Solution
Customizable White-Label Consumables
Printify Offers On-Demand Consumables for Brands & Businesses
Eco Cardboard Can-Carriers
Wild Rose Craft Brewery Debuts Cardboard Can-Carrier to Reduce Waste
Sustainable QSR Litter Adverts
McDonald's Malta Presents New Captivating Eco-Centric Campaigns
Innovative Biobased Fabrication Brands
Algreen Creates Bio-Based Polyurethane Out of Food Waste
Curbside Waste Bags
TerraCycle Launches a New Zero Waste Bag for Hard-to-Recycle Waste Streams
Sustainable Cereal Packaging
Weetabix Now Features Fully Recyclable Packaging
Rodent-Preventative Trash Bins
Group Project Designs a New BetterBin for New York City
Recyclable Paper Packaging Initiatives
Walmart is Swapping to Recyclable Packaging on All Channels
Recyclable Trick-or-Treat Bags
Mars and Rubicon are Tackling Halloween Packaging Waste
Industrial Wastewater Clean-Ups
Aquacycl Boasts Innovative Water-Cleaning Technology
Waste Tarp-Made Public Seating
The Membran Collective Joins the Urban Networks Project
Reusable Contactless Cups
Starbucks' Borrow a Cup Pilot Explores Reusable, Recyclable Packaging
Recyclable Plastic-Free Coffee Cups
M&S Food is Launching Recyclable Coffee Cups
Upcycled Meat Alternatives
Migros Crafts Alt Meat from Spent Brewer’s Grain
Upcycled Plastic Construction Companies
'Kubik' Uses Plastic Waste as a Sustainable Material
AR Secondhand Shops
American Eagle Outfitters' RE/AE Shop Spotlights Sustainable Goods
Low-Waste Sustainable Spritzes
The Sustainable Spritz Eliminates the Need for Single-Use Glasses
Drop-Off Recycling Stations
SIG's Recycle for Good Program Encourages Waste Reduction
Reusable Paper Lunch Bags
Out of the Woods Reinterprets a Nostalgic Lunch Classic
Wasteful Fashion Campaigns
Vestiaire Collective Reminded People to Shop Mindfully on Black Friday
Low-Waste Shopping Solutions
ASDA, Avery Berkel & Hanshow are Enhancing Sustainability in the UK
Waste-Reducing Wines
Wasted Wine Club Creatively Repurposes Surplus Wine
Imperfect Produce Subscriptions
Odd Bunch Delivers Oddly Shaped Produce to Consumers' Doors
Plant-Based Snack Bar Wrappers
BAR-U-EAT Compostable Bar Wrappers are BPI-Certified
Spent Grain Alcohol Products
These Zenso Alcoholic Beverages Have an Eco-Friendly Profile
Waste-Reducing Beanless Coffees
Prefer Makes Bean-Free Coffee from Food Waste Like Soy and Bread
Rewarding Milk Packaging
Ocado's Milk Bottle Recycling Initiative Gives Rewards for Recycling
Machine-Learning Recipe Apps
'littlecook.io' Helps Users Curb Food Waste, Plan Ahead and More
Clothing Recycling Services
Marine Layer and Trashie Lead Sustainable Fashion with New Initiative
Charitable Zero-Waste Meals
Good Food Project Turns Excess Food into Meals for the Food Insecure
Closet Cleanout Programs
The Container Store's Closet Clean Out Resale Program Slows Fashion Waste
Recyclable Takeout Packaging Services
Uber Eats Begins the Reusable Packaging Trials in London
Stainless Steal Drinkware Recycling Programs
MiiR Launches Innovative Re:Claimed Takeback Program
Waste-Reducing Culinary Starters
The Spare Food Co.'s Spare Starter Uses Surplus Farm Produce
Eco-Conscious Juice Boxes
Simple Times Mixers Supports Curbside Recycling with its New Packaging
Reusable Cafe Packaging
SFU Reduces Waste with Tap to Reuse and Smart Return Bin Tech
Textile Recycling Supply Chains
Fashion Takes Action Releases an Eco-Conscious Textile Guide
Chance to win £10,000
Meet the Cornish upcycler inspiring people
Rental Bathroom Amenity Projects
Sojo and Clean the World Revolutionize Rental Amenities Recycling
Ethical Clothing Recycling Services
Retold Recycling Aims to Reduce Textile Waste
Premium Food-Waste Cooking Apps
The SORTEDfood App Helps to Cut Waste and Create Great Meals
Food Waste-Combatting Smart Stickers
Grey Colombia Unveils a Set of Progressive Produce Stickers
Eco-Friendly Refurbished Studios
Workers of Art Presents the WOA Second Home in Kochi
Eco-Friendly Pasta Campaigns
Barilla Celebrates World Pasta Day with a New Campaign Initiative
Eco Meal Program Initiatives
The Home Chef Food Rescue Program Redirects Surplus and Waste
Gamified Plastic Bottle Journeys
Last Bottle Takes Users on an Informative After-Recycling Journey
Sustainability-Focused Seafood Initiatives
Hailia Has Expanded its Use of Fish Byproducts
Leftover Sandwich Campaigns
The Hellmanns' 'Between 2 Slices' Campaign Tackles Food Waste
Paper Packaging Recycle Stations
Co-cre8 Debuts the New Paper Cup Collection and Recycling Service
Sustainable Chemical Refill Centers
The Friendly Chemical Co. Launches its New Refill Stations
Compostable Foodservice Lines
The New Veridian™ Collection Targets Composter Contamination
Upcycled Sports Nutrition Powders
FYTA Makes Sports Nutrition Powders from Upcycled Barley Protein
Pet Product Takeback Services
PetSmart Unveils the New Sustainable Pet Product Takeback Programs
Sustainable Wooden Cutlery
Eco-Products Unveils Its New Compostable Wooden Cutlery
Leather Waste Beanbag Chairs
Studio Simone Post Joins Yoon Seok-Hyeon on Four-Tenths
Sustainable Service Industry Toolkits
RECOUP Has Launched a New 'Bring it Back' Toolkit with PECT
Seasonal Surplus Produce Boxes
Earth & Wheat Christmas Feast Rescued Box is Charitable