Global Food Waste Management Market reached US$ 69.8 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 136.2 billion by 2032, growing with a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period 2025-2032.
The increasing global awareness about food waste has contributed to the rise of the food waste management industry. Rising customer demand for unique and exotic foods such as tropical fruits, premium coffee and imported goods is likely to drive growth. The rise in global food waste, the aim to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and the increasing use of organic waste for the creation of feed and fertilizers are all contributing to the market's expansion.
The industry's important competitive considerations include the availability of trained technical professional workers, specialized equipment, service quality, service diversity and costs. Furthermore, government rules, technology, costly EPA fees, significant capital investment and high licensing costs all limit new entrants into the sector. For example, the United States has established a goal to decrease food waste by 50% by 2030 via its Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Asia-Pacific is expected to have tremendous growth in the near future. The region is responsible for a significant volume of waste during production and transportation. The Chinese government has proposed many strategies to eliminate consumable waste. Public education initiatives such as 'The Clean Your Plate Campaign' are promoting anti-food debris behavior. Business operators are implementing new business models for debris management utilizing diverse technologies.
Dynamics
Growing Awareness About Food Waste and Sustainability
Consumers, businesses and governments are becoming more aware of the economic and environmental impact of food waste, which is driving demand for waste reduction solutions. According to the FAO, while over 1.4 billion tons of food are wasted worldwide each year, the United States discards between 40 and 80 billion pounds of food yearly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that the amount of food wasted in the U.S. is comparable to 219 pounds of trash per person, which will have a positive impact on the food waste management industry.
Organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are aggressively advocating food waste reduction as part of their Sustainable Development Goals. Companies are establishing corporate sustainability strategies to match with their environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives. Furthermore, the government's increased focus on teaching people on suitable storage procedures for fruits and vegetables to prevent rotting is expected to impact the quantity of trash generated.
Rising Government Regulations
Governments around the world are adopting stringent waste management policies in order to limit landfill garbage and minimize environmental effect. Regulations requiring proper food waste disposal and recycling include the EU's Waste Framework Directive, the United States Food Recovery Act and China's Anti-Food Waste Law. Companies must comply with zero-waste policies and food waste monitoring rules, creating a need for food waste management solutions.
Governments around the world are launching initiatives to prevent food waste, such as Love Food, Hate Waste in the United Kingdom and Denmark's Stop Wasting Food program. Furthermore, the Think Eat Save worldwide collaboration between Messe Düsseldorf, FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is intended to increase awareness of food waste management in support of the UN Secretary-General's Hunger Challenge.
High Initial Investment & Operational Costs
The food waste management sector necessitates significant financial investments to build and maintain effective waste collection, processing and disposal systems. Building up food waste processing facilities (including composting plants, anaerobic digestion units and waste-to-energy plants) demands a considerable investment. Transportation and logistics for garbage collection, requiring specialized trucks and processing facilities, increase the expenses.
Modern waste treatment processes (such as anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis and incineration) require complicated technology and automation, increasing initial investment costs. Regular maintenance and improvements are essential to keep equipment working smoothly and in accordance with environmental regulations. The cost factor restricts the adoption of food waste management solutions in low-income and developing regions where waste management expenditures are limited.
Segment Analysis
The global food waste management market is segmented based on waste type, source, service, process and region.
Growing Population and Changing Lifestyles is Driving Residential Segment
Residential food waste is expected to rise due to the fast growing population and changing lifestyles. Insufficient food management, excessive food preparation, excess shopping, poor cooking abilities and inadequate storage are all factors that lead to household food waste. Families are expected to waste more food as the population grows and lifestyles change. Some of the variables that contribute to food waste in homes include a lack of culinary skills, excessive food preparation, excessive purchase, inadequate food management and wrong storage.
Food distributors and suppliers generated more waste as a result of food and meat spoilage caused by weather fluctuations, improper handling and a lack of acceptable storage facilities. Large-scale packaging and unsold inventories in supermarkets contribute significantly to food waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) anticipates that 63 million tons of food waste were produced in the institutional, commercial and residential sectors, with approximately 32% managed by biochemical processing, animal feed, anaerobic digestion, land application, composting, donation and sewer/wastewater treatment.
Geographical Penetration
Improper Food Waste Management in Europe
Europe is estimated to account for the majority of the global food waste management market during the forecast period. Improper waste management in the region is a major factor driving market growth. According to the UNEP Food Waste Index 2021, over 931 million tons of trash were generated in 2019, with 26% coming from the hotel industry, 61% from households and 13% from retail.
The EU member states are aiming to reduce food waste at the source while also investing in proper disposal methods to extract useful products such as fertilizer and biogas from the processes. For example, the EU has committed to achieving SDG Target 12.3, which calls for decreasing per capita global food waste at the consumer and retail sectors by 2030. Furthermore, tight food waste management regulations are expected to accelerate the region's growth.
Competitive Landscape
The major global players in the market include Veolia Environnement, SUEZ, Waste Management, Inc., Republic Services, Inc., Covanta Ltd., Stericycle, Inc., Advanced Disposal Services, Inc., FCC Environment, Remondis SE & Co. KG and Clean Harbors, Inc.
Recent Developments
● In February 2025, SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK (SUEZ) is moving on with plans to establish an anaerobic digestion facility on its Holloway Lane site near Sipson, West London. If permitted, the facility would provide stable, renewable gas - enough to power up to 8,200 homes - while lowering CO2 emissions and contributing to the UK's energy security by repurposing food waste.
● In December 2024, As a part of a dedicated agreement, Veolia and the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC), operated by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, are partnering to handle organic, industrial and toxic waste at a regional and national level in accordance with His Highness Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman's Vision 2030 program.
By Waste Type
● Cereals
● Dairy & Dairy Products
● Fruits & Vegetables
● Meat & Poultry
● Others
By Source
● Residential
● Commercial
● Industrial
By Service
● Collection
● Transportation
● Disposal/Recycling
By Process
● Aerobic Digestion
● Anaerobic Digestion
● Incineration/ Combustion
● Others
By Region
● North America
o US
o Canada
o Mexico
● Europe
o Germany
o UK
o France
o Italy
o Spain
o Rest of Europe
● South America
o Brazil
o Argentina
o Rest of South America
● Asia-Pacific
o China
o India
o Japan
o Australia
o Rest of Asia-Pacific
● Middle East and Africa
Why Purchase the Report?
● To visualize the global food waste management market segmentation based on waste type, source, service, process and region.
● Identify commercial opportunities by analyzing trends and co-development.
● Excel data sheet with numerous data points at the food waste management market level for all segments.
● PDF report consists of a comprehensive analysis after exhaustive qualitative interviews and an in-depth study.
● Product mapping available as excel consisting of key products of all the major players.
The global food waste management market report would provide approximately 78 tables, 79 figures and 215 pages.
Target Audience 2024
• Manufacturers/ Buyers
• Industry Investors/Investment Bankers
• Research Professionals
• Emerging Companies
- 1. Methodology and Scope
- 1.1. Research Methodology
- 1.2. Research Objective and Scope of the Report
- 2. Definition and Overview
- 3. Executive Summary
- 3.1. Snippet by Waste Type
- 3.2. Snippet by Source
- 3.3. Snippet by Service
- 3.4. Snippet by Process
- 3.5. Snippet by Region
- 4. Dynamics
- 4.1. Impacting Factors
- 4.1.1. Drivers
- 4.1.1.1. Growing Awareness About Food Waste and Sustainability
- 4.1.1.2. Rising Government Regulations Sector
- 4.1.2. Restraints
- 4.1.2.1. High Initial Investment & Operational Costs
- 4.1.3. Opportunity
- 4.1.4. Impact Analysis
- 5. Industry Analysis
- 5.1. Porter's Five Force Analysis
- 5.2. Supply Chain Analysis
- 5.3. Pricing Analysis
- 5.4. Regulatory Analysis
- 5.5. Sustainable Analysis
- 5.6. DMI Opinion
- 6. By Waste Type
- 6.1. Introduction
- 6.1.1. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Waste Type
- 6.1.2. Market Attractiveness Index, By Waste Type
- 6.2. Cereals*
- 6.2.1. Introduction
- 6.2.2. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%)
- 6.3. Dairy & Dairy Products
- 6.4. Fruits & Vegetables
- 6.5. Meat & Poultry
- 6.6. Others
- 7. By Source
- 7.1. Introduction
- 7.1.1. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Source
- 7.1.2. Market Attractiveness Index, By Source
- 7.2. Residential*
- 7.2.1. Introduction
- 7.2.2. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%)
- 7.3. Commercial
- 7.4. Industrial
- 8. By Service
- 8.1. Introduction
- 8.1.1. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Service
- 8.1.2. Market Attractiveness Index, By Service
- 8.2. Collection*
- 8.2.1. Introduction
- 8.2.2. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%)
- 8.3. Transportation
- 8.4. Disposal/Recycling
- 9. By Process
- 9.1. Introduction
- 9.1.1. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Process
- 9.1.2. Market Attractiveness Index, By Process
- 9.2. Aerobic Digestion*
- 9.2.1. Introduction
- 9.2.2. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%)
- 9.3. Anaerobic Digestion
- 9.4. Incineration/ Combustion
- 9.5. Others
- 10. Sustainability Analysis
- 10.1. Environmental Analysis
- 10.2. Economic Analysis
- 10.3. Governance Analysis
- 11. By Region
- 11.1. Introduction
- 11.1.1. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Region
- 11.1.2. Market Attractiveness Index, By Region
- 11.2. North America
- 11.2.1. Introduction
- 11.2.2. Key Region-Specific Dynamics
- 11.2.3. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Waste Type
- 11.2.4. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Source
- 11.2.5. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Service
- 11.2.6. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Process
- 11.2.7. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Country
- 11.2.7.1. US
- 11.2.7.2. Canada
- 11.2.7.3. Mexico
- 11.3. Europe
- 11.3.1. Introduction
- 11.3.2. Key Region-Specific Dynamics
- 11.3.3. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Waste Type
- 11.3.4. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Source
- 11.3.5. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Service
- 11.3.6. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Process
- 11.3.7. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Country
- 11.3.7.1. Germany
- 11.3.7.2. UK
- 11.3.7.3. France
- 11.3.7.4. Italy
- 11.3.7.5. Spain
- 11.3.7.6. Rest of Europe
- 11.4. South America
- 11.4.1. Introduction
- 11.4.2. Key Region-Specific Dynamics
- 11.4.3. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Waste Type
- 11.4.4. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Source
- 11.4.5. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Service
- 11.4.6. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Process
- 11.4.7. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Country
- 11.4.7.1. Brazil
- 11.4.7.2. Argentina
- 11.4.7.3. Rest of South America
- 11.5. Asia-Pacific
- 11.5.1. Introduction
- 11.5.2. Key Region-Specific Dynamics
- 11.5.3. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Waste Type
- 11.5.4. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Source
- 11.5.5. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Service
- 11.5.6. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Process
- 11.5.7. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Country
- 11.5.7.1. China
- 11.5.7.2. India
- 11.5.7.3. Japan
- 11.5.7.4. Australia
- 11.5.7.5. Rest of Asia-Pacific
- 11.6. Middle East and Africa
- 11.6.1. Introduction
- 11.6.2. Key Region-Specific Dynamics
- 11.6.3. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Waste Type
- 11.6.4. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Source
- 11.6.5. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Service
- 11.6.6. Market Size Analysis and Y-o-Y Growth Analysis (%), By Process
- 12. Competitive Landscape
- 12.1. Competitive Scenario
- 12.2. Market Positioning/Share Analysis
- 12.3. Mergers and Acquisitions Analysis
- 13. Company Profiles
- 13.1. Veolia Environnement*
- 13.1.1. Company Overview
- 13.1.2. Product Portfolio and Description
- 13.1.3. Financial Overview
- 13.1.4. Key Developments
- 13.2. SUEZ
- 13.3. Waste Management, Inc.
- 13.4. Republic Services, Inc.
- 13.5. Covanta Ltd.
- 13.6. Stericycle, Inc.
- 13.7. Advanced Disposal Services, Inc.
- 13.8. FCC Environment
- 13.9. Remondis SE & Co. KG
- 13.10. Clean Harbors, Inc.
- LIST NOT EXHAUSTIVE
- 14. Appendix
- 14.1. About Us and Services
- 14.2. Contact Us
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