Food waste management refers to the processes and services involved in the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of food waste generated across various sectors. It plays a critical role in mitigating environmental impact, reducing landfill usage and recovering valuable resources through recycling and repurposing.
The food waste management market consists of sales of food waste management services by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) specializing in collection, transportation and disposal and recycling of food waste.
The global food waste management market was valued at $62,468.20 million in 2019 which grew till 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 3.00%.
Rising Food Waste Generation
The rising food waste generation has fueled the growth of the food waste management market in recent years. Food waste includes both edible and inedible food discarded across various stages of the supply chain, including households, food services and retail, often due to spoilage, overproduction, or consumer habits. The rise in food waste is largely driven by consumer over-purchasing, often influenced by misinterpreted expiration dates, as well as inefficiencies in supply chains that lead to losses during storage and transportation. This growing waste generation has heightened the demand for recycling, composting and waste-to-energy solutions, prompting businesses and governments to implement stricter regulations and sustainable practices. For instance, in March 2024, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 1.05 billion tons of food waste (including inedible parts) were generated globally in 2022, averaging 132 kg per person and nearly 20% of consumer food supply. Of this waste, households contributed 60%, food services 28% and retail 12%. Therefore, the rising food waste generation continues to drive the expansion of the food waste management market.
Innovative Food Waste Management Initiatives Driving Sustainability
Leading companies in the food waste management market are prioritizing innovative solutions, such as food waste management initiatives to minimize environmental impact, reduce landfill waste and promote circular economy practices. Food waste management initiatives refer to structured programs and strategies aimed at reducing, repurposing and sustainably disposing of food waste. For example, in July 2024, Le Meridien Petaling Jaya, a 5-star hotel in Malaysia, partnered with Entomal Biotech Sdn Bhd, a Malaysia-based biotechnology firm, to implement a food waste management program. Using the Entomal Mobile Bioconversion System (EMBC), the hotel transforms food waste into nutrient-rich insect protein and organic fertilizer, supporting local farmers and cutting emissions. Since April 2024, the hotel has processed 3,175.9 kg of food waste, yielding 485.05 kg of larvae protein and 698.30 kg of organic fertilizer, while preventing 7.93 tons of CO2 emissions.
The global food waste management market is fragmented, with a large number of small players operating in the market. The top ten competitors in the market made up to 5.80% of the total market in 2023.
Food Waste Management Global Market Opportunities And Strategies To 2034 from The Business Research Company provides the strategists; marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global food waste management market as it emerges from the COVID-19 shut down.
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Where is the largest and fastest-growing market for food waste management? How does the market relate to the overall economy; demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward? The food waste management market global report from The Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics; size and growth; segmentation; regional and country breakdowns; competitive landscape; market shares; trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's history and forecasts market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider food waste management market; and compares it with other markets.
The report covers the following chapters
- Introduction And Market Characteristics- Brief introduction to the segmentations covered in the market, definitions and explanations about the segment by waste type, by service, by source, by application and by end-user.
- Key Trends- Highlights the major trends shaping the global market. This section also highlights likely future developments in the market.
- Growth Analysis And Strategic Analysis Framework- Analysis on PESTEL, end use industries, market growth rate, global historic (2019-2024) and forecast (2024-2029, 2034F) market values and drivers and restraints that support and control the growth of the market in the historic and forecast periods, forecast growth contributors and total addressable market
- Global Market Size And Growth- Global historic (2019-2024) and forecast (2024-2029, 2034F) market values and drivers and restraints that support and control the growth of the market in the historic and forecast periods.
- Regional And Country Analysis- Historic (2019-2024) and forecast (2024-2029, 2034F) market values and growth and market share comparison by region and country.
- Market Segmentation- Contains the market values (2019-2024) (2024-2029, 2034F) and analysis for each segment by waste type, by service, by source, by application and by end-user in the market. Historic (2019-2024) and forecast (2024-2029) and (2029-2034) market values and growth and market share comparison by region market.
- Regional Market Size And Growth- Regional market size (2024), historic (2019-2024) and forecast (2024-2029, 2034F) market values and growth and market share comparison of countries within the region. This report includes information on all the regions Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa and major countries within each.
- Competitive Landscape- Details on the competitive landscape of the market, estimated market shares and company profiles of the leading players.
- Other Major And Innovative Companies- Details on the company profiles of other major and innovative companies in the market.
- Competitive Benchmarking- Briefs on the financials comparison between major players in the market.
- Competitive Dashboard- Briefs on competitive dashboard of major players.
- Key Mergers And Acquisitions- Information on recent mergers and acquisitions in the market covered in the report. This section gives key financial details of mergers and acquisitions, which have shaped the market in recent years.
- Market Opportunities And Strategies- Describes market opportunities and strategies based on findings of the research, with information on growth opportunities across countries, segments and strategies to be followed in those markets.
- Conclusions And Recommendations- This section includes recommendations for food waste management providers in terms of product/service offerings geographic expansion, marketing strategies and target groups
- Appendix- This section includes details on the NAICS codes covered, abbreviations and currencies codes used in this report.
Markets Covered:
- 1) By Waste Type: Cereals; Dairy And Dairy Product; Fruits And Vegetables; Meat And Poultry; Fish And Seafood; Oilseeds And Pulse; Roots And Tubers; Other Waste Types
- 2) By Service: Collection; Transportation; Disposal And Recycling
- 3) By Source: Residential; Commercia; Industrial
- 4) By Application: Feed; Fertilizers; Biofuel; Power Generation; Other Applications
- 5) By End User: Primary Food Producers; Food Manufacturers; Food Distributors And Suppliers; Food Service Providers; Municipalities And Households
- Companies Mentioned: Veolia Environnement SA; Waste Management Inc; Republic Services Inc; Waste Connections Inc; Rumpke Consolidated Companies Inc.
- Countries: China; Australia; India; Indonesia; Japan; South Korea; USA; Canada; Brazil; France; Germany; UK; Italy; Spain; Russia
- Regions: Asia-Pacific; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; North America; South America; Middle East; Africa
- Time-series: Five years historic and ten years forecast.
- Data: Ratios of market size and growth to related markets; GDP proportions; expenditure per capita; food waste management indicators comparison.
- Data segmentations: country and regional historic and forecast data; market share of competitors; market segments.
- Sourcing and Referencing: Data and analysis throughout the report is sourced using end notes.