Dive Brief:
- Whole Foods Market is gearing up to launch automated, on-site food recycling infrastructure that will allow the retailer to convert food waste into chicken feed for its suppliers, according to a Tuesday press release.
- Starting in 2027, the back-of-house operations powered by Mill Industries Inc. will measure food waste in real-time, using artificial intelligence to identify what’s being thrown away, how much and how to best reuse it.
- The partnership aims to advance Whole Foods’ goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030. Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund also invested in Mill Industries for the full deployment of this technology.
Dive Insight:
Amazon’s Climate Pledge is investing in Mill Industries to develop Mill Commercial, the commercial technology that aims to prevent waste at scale, and that Whole Foods will soon be the first retailer to test.
The Mill Commercial system automatically measures and characterizes fruit and vegetable scraps through advanced camera vision and software powered by AI, Mill co-founder and President Harry Tanenbaum said in emailed comments to Grocery Dive. The infrastructure’s dehydration process reduces waste volumes by 80%, leaving behind a material that is shelf-stable, he added. This simplifies Whole Foods’ operational handling requirements, lowers transportation costs and enhances food safety. Suppliers, meanwhile, get feedstock in return.
The upcoming commercial system is also expected to cut carbon emissions associated with food waste management, according to the announcement.
“Whole Foods Market will use their grounds as a nutrient-rich chicken feed ingredient intended for their private-label egg suppliers,” Tanenbaum said.
This announcement comes on the heels of Amazon tapping Caitlin Leibert to serve as global head of sustainability for its Worldwide Grocery unit after holding a similar title at Whole Foods.
