From Waste to Worth: Exploring Milan’s Innovative Local Food Waste Hubs in 5 Webinars

Combating food waste is a critical global challenge, and Milan is at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to tackle this issue. Through its Local Food Waste Hubs Network, the city is reducing waste, promoting social equity, and fostering sustainable food systems.

The recognition of Milan’s efforts by the prestigious Earthshot Prize in 2021 enabled the scaling of the hub network, amplifying its impact across the city. The great news is that this model can be easily adapted to other urban contexts, offering a scalable solution for cities worldwide. The MUFPP is eager to facilitate knowledge transfer, as demonstrated in Bangkok, where 50 hubs were successfully created within the city.

From December 9 to 17, 2024, a series of five webinars titled From Waste to Worth: Rethinking Food in Cities – Milan’s Best Practices of Local Food Waste Hubs brought together experts, city officials, and stakeholders from Milan Food Waste Hub network to share best practices and strategies, creating a unique opportunity for MUFPP cities around the world to learn from Milan’s systemic and collaborative methods.

The series was promoted by the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) and the City of Milan’s Food Policy Department, within the framework of the Earthshot Prize, with the support of  key partners including Politecnico di Milano, Cariplo Foundation, SNAM Foundation, and Assolombarda.

The webinars successfully reached over 308 participants from 69 cities worldwide, offering valuable insights into how Milan’s Local Food Waste Hubs can be replicated to reduce food waste and promote social equity on a global scale.

Below is a summary of the main takeaways from each of the five webinars:

#1 Food Waste – Reducing Waste Through Urban Food Policies

The city’s food hub network thrives within a favorable ecosystem, supported by its dense urban infrastructure, strong business presence, charitable organizations, institutional collaboration, and a well-defined Food Policy. 

Milan’s Food Policy has a strong focus on ‘Governance’ and ‘Food Waste Prevention’, which aligns closely with two MUFPP’s categories and Earthshot Prize’s global vision.
A key element of Milan’s success has been the steady collaboration with a private grant-maker, Fondazione Cariplo, which has co-designed and supported the city’s food policy since 2014, driving inclusive, research-based policymaking.

The results speak for themselves: in 2023 alone, Milan’s Local Food Waste Hubs recovered over 615 tons of food, reducing environmental impact and promoting social equity.

#2 Local Food Waste Hubs as a Model for Global Sustainability

This session delved into the operational model of the Local Food Waste Hubs, exploring how surplus food from supermarkets and retailers is redistributed to vulnerable communities through local charities and third-sector organizations. 

One of the key elements discussed was the Innovative Logistic Model, which ensures efficient food recovery and distribution, supported by the strategic coordination of the Milan Food Policy Unit.  Additionally, the continuous scientific support from the local university, Politecnico di Milano, ensures that logistics are constantly optimized, enhancing the effectiveness and reach of the hubs. Beyond food redistribution, these hubs also serve as community centers, offering a range of social services that promote inclusion and social equity

#3 Collaborative Urban Food Policies and Stakeholder Engagement

Key players in the Milan Local food hubs system include NGOs, food banks, and social actors who form strong partnerships to manage local food waste hubs. The Municipality acted as a facilitator, while NGOs provided on-the-ground insights to ensure practical and  inclusive solutions.

Co-design, co-programming, and the implementation of shared IT systems for donation optimization, tracking, and logistics were identified as essential for success.
Here too, the results achieved speak for themselves: The collaborative effort led to a unified project involving 23 Third Sector entities, the creation of new food hubs, and a significant increase in the recovery of fresh food from local markets.

#4 Engaging Retailers and Food Sector Companies in Food Waste Reduction

Milan’s experience demonstrates that challenges such as limited food surplus, volunteer shortages, resource competition, and financial sustainability can be effectively addressed through strategic partnerships with private companies.

A prime example of successful collaboration with private retailers is Milan’s partnership with Lidl. As part of its ‘Food-Saving Initiatives’, Lidl offers discounted “food-saving” bags to reduce waste, but this also limits the amount of food available for charitable distribution. To offset this, Lidl provides monetary donations to organizations involved in food recovery and redistribution, ensuring a balanced and sustainable solution.

Webinar #5: Education and Awareness Initiatives to Combat Food Waste

Education is a cornerstone of Milan’s strategy to combat food waste, and this webinar highlighted initiatives aimed at children, families, and educators.

Milan’s school canteen system, which serves over 75,000 meals daily, incorporates educational programs that teach children about healthy eating and the importance of waste reduction. In 2023 alone, 16,600 kg of bread and 40,000 kg of fruit were recovered from school canteens and donated to local charities, underscoring the tangible impact of these initiatives. More recently, Milan has also experimented with nudging techniques to tackle food waste, redesigning and regenerating school canteen spaces to enhance students’ well-being while simultaneously encouraging waste reduction.

The “From Waste to Worth” webinar series highlighted the importance of adopting systemic, collaborative approaches to reducing food waste, addressing food insecurity, and promoting social equity. The MUFPP hopes that cities will set up similar processes, taking the lead in creating and coordinating consortia made up of public-private partnerships to implement them toward more sustainable food systems worldwide.

A special thank you goes to the speakers, partners, and all participants who made this series possible. 

For more information or to receive materials from the webinars, please contact: mufpp.secretariat@comune.milano.it

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