Whole Foods Market is partnering with food waste startup Mill to deploy its innovative smart food waste bins across produce departments nationwide, with installations set to begin in 2027. This strategic collaboration also sees Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund investing in Mill, though the specific amount was not disclosed. Mill, co-founded by Nest alumnus Matt Rogers, has successfully raised a total of $250 million to date, according to recent reports.
Addressing the Grocery Store Food Waste Challenge
Food waste presents a significant and costly problem for the grocery industry. Annually, approximately 10% of all food—an estimated 43 billion pounds, as highlighted by a 2014 study—is discarded by U.S. grocery stores. For an industry operating on notoriously thin margins, every pound thrown out represents a missed revenue opportunity and contributes to a store's overall carbon footprint.
Mill's Smart Solution for Sustainable Waste Management
Mill's sensor-equipped bins are designed to tackle this challenge head-on. By collecting valuable data, these smart bins aim to help Whole Foods precisely identify and reduce the amount of produce that goes to waste. Once food waste is placed into the bins, it undergoes a process of dehydration and grinding. The resulting processed material is then transformed into chicken feed, which will be supplied to Whole Foods' private label egg producers, closing the loop on a sustainable food system.
