Products from Food Waste Market

How big is Products from Food Waste Market in 2026?

The products from food waste market was valued at USD 60.8 billion in 2025 and is moving toward USD 63.7 billion in 2026. The industry is projected to reach USD 100.7 billion by 2036, expanding at a CAGR of 4.7% over the forecast period.

Sales of products from food waste are estimated to rise at 4.7% CAGR through 2036. Food makers are using clean food waste in feed, ingredients, fertilizer, materials, and energy. Waste plants remove packaging and unwanted material before processing starts. Buyers compare recovered products with new inputs on quality, delivered cost, and steady supply. Better sorting gives plants more usable material and reduces cleaning work. Poor sorting adds plastic, animal material, or spoiled food that blocks some recovery uses. In April 2025, EPA estimated that wasted food costs each U.S. consumer USD 728 a year. The annual cost gives businesses a clear reason to prevent waste and recover value from unavoidable food waste.

Country results differ because local collection rules shape how clean food waste reaches processors. England now requires weekly household food-waste collection, giving food waste management firms a regular stream of separated material. UK demand is projected to grow at 5.8% CAGR through 2036, supported by separate collection that increases sorted food-waste supply. Japan uses an established recycling system under the Food Waste Recycling Act. Its outlook is anticipated to advance at 4.1% CAGR through 2036, shaped by that system. In June 2026, Japan's Ministry of the Environment reported 4.61 million tonnes of food loss and waste in FY2024. Business waste made up 2.37 million tonnes of that total. Japanese processors are working with a large supply, but they need suitable quality, nearby collection, and a buyer. UK collection rules are adding newly separated supply, while Japan's system routes business waste through established recycling channels.

Key Takeaways of Products from Food Waste Market

• Food businesses generate usable side streams every day, giving recovery companies a steady supply of material.
• Animal feed holds 31.0% of product type in 2026 as approved former food replaces some standard feed ingredients.
• Fruit & vegetable waste holds 38.0% of source in 2026 as routine food handling creates large, separable streams.
• Source-separation rules make food waste easier to track, while moisture and long transport routes raise processing costs.
• Contamination and animal-by-product rules add preparation work and can block unsuitable food waste from higher-value uses.
• Active companies include Circular Systems S.P.C., Aeropowder, ReGrained, Toast Ale, Rubies in the Rubble, Divert Inc. and GroCycle. Bio-bean Ltd. entered liquidation in March 2025 and Fruitcycle merged into Together We Bake in 2016; both are included for historical context.

Analyst Perspective

"Food manufacturers are testing recovered ingredients on existing lines, and wider adoption is likely where those trials keep quality steady. The main challenge is keeping contamination low enough to meet cost, safety, and performance targets."

- Nandini Roy Choudhury, Principal Consultant, Future Market Insights.

How is the Products from Food Waste Market segmented?

The products from food waste market is segmented by Product Type, Source, End Use, and Region.

The products from food waste market uses three segment axes with region as the geographic split.
Product type covers animal feed, biofuels, compost/fertilizer, and value-added chemicals.
Source covers fruit & vegetable waste, dairy processing waste, bakery & cereal waste, and others.
End use covers food processing, beverage processing, cosmetics & personal care, dietary supplements & nutraceuticals, animal feed, and others.

What makes animal feed central to the product type category?

Animal feed gives safe former food a direct use without the extra processing that many chemical or material products need. Feed buyers use former food from sellers that protect safety, source records, and nutrient quality. Approved former food replaces part of the standard ingredient mix in livestock feed. Buyers reject streams with banned animal material because those inputs break feed rules. Mixed packaging and changing moisture force plants to sort more material before they can use it in feed.

• By product type, animal feed is estimated to hold a 31.0% share in 2026, supported by approved former food entering existing feed programs.
• In August 2025, UK authorities issued import rules for feed products containing former foodstuffs. The guidance now sets the document and label requirements for imported feed made with eligible former foods.

What keeps fruit & vegetable waste prominent within the source category?

Fruit and vegetable waste comes from farms, packing sites, food plants, shops, and foodservice businesses. These scraps contain sugars, fiber, nutrients, and organic matter that support several recovery uses. Buyers are using clean streams for feed, fermentation, composting, and upcycled food ingredients. Short shelf life limits recovery because untreated scraps lose quality during long storage. Plants prefer sorted material that stays stable so spoilage does not reduce usable output. Nearby sources matter because wet food waste becomes expensive to move over long distances.

• Fruit & vegetable waste is set to lead the source category with a 38.0% share in 2026, influenced by separable volumes from food businesses.
• Upcycled Foods introduced whole upcycled raisins from California wine-grape varieties in March 2025. The raisins now give fruit side streams a commercial food use.

What makes food processing central within the end use category?

Food manufacturers are testing recovered inputs in recipes that already use grain, fruit, fiber, or flavor. Plants compare recovered and standard inputs on food safety, taste, function, and reliable supply. Existing food processing equipment lets product teams test these inputs before they approve larger orders.

• In 2026, food processing is expected to lead end use with a 32.0% share, linked to manufacturers testing recovered ingredients on existing lines.
• Upcycled Foods and Misfits Market launched private-label breads using ReGrained SuperGrain+ in March 2025. The bread now uses brewers' spent grain in an established retail food product.

What are the drivers, restraints and opportunities in the products from food waste market?

In the products from food waste market, the key driver is separate collection that gives processors cleaner food-waste inputs, the key restraint is contamination that raises preparation costs, and the key opportunity is better conversion that turns clean residues into higher-value products.

• Driver: Separate collection and food-waste recycling programs give processors more clean material for approved recovery uses.
• Restraint: Contamination, animal-by-product rules, and package removal raise costs or block a food stream from its preferred use.
• Opportunity: Better sorting and processing methods are turning selected food waste into materials, chemicals, ingredients, and other products companies can sell.

Separate collection gives recovery plants cleaner food waste from businesses

Separate pickup keeps food waste out of mixed trash, so plants receive cleaner material. EPA updated its Excess Food Opportunities Map to Version 3.1 in March 2025. The map now lists more than 960,000 possible waste sources and over 15,000 places that can receive excess food. Plant teams use the map to find nearby food-waste sources and places that can accept material. Clear source data helps companies schedule regular pickups from shops, kitchens, and food plants. Cleaner loads leave more food for useful processing. Clear supply agreements state input quality and pickup timing. Defined pickup terms give compost and organic fertilizer plants a steadier flow from commercial food sites.

Contamination and packaging raise costs before food waste reaches an approved use

Sorting and safety rules block poor-quality food waste from its planned use. Feed rules limit former food in animal diets and require plants to keep banned material out. Plants remove wrapping from packaged food before composting equipment can process the food. In September 2025, UK food authorities investigated suspected cattle botulism cases involving former-food bakery feed. The case now reinforces the need for clear source records on higher-risk feed. Plants check the source, package contact, and condition of each load. Mixed loads need more sorting and leave less usable food. Dirty or distant streams can cost more to recover than to dispose of.

Clean food waste supports higher-value ingredients, materials, and branded products

Companies are using clean food waste in ingredients, materials, and beverages that need tighter quality control than disposal routes. Buyers need a stable material mix before they replace a known input with a recovered one. Toast Brewing launched a surplus-sourdough IPA with Jason's Sourdough in September 2025. The brewing model uses existing capacity instead of requiring a dedicated plant for surplus bread. Upcycled protein and fiber ingredients must meet clear quality rules before food makers approve them. Suppliers record origin, handling steps, and ingredient performance. Buying teams use those records to compare recovered and standard inputs. Steady composition and reliable line performance make recovered ingredients easier for food makers to approve.

Which country CAGRs are included in the Products from Food Waste Market?

Country	CAGR
UK	5.8%
Germany	5.5%
South Korea	5.0%
Japan	4.1%
USA	3.7%

How do country-level CAGRs compare in the products from food waste market?

Country demand differs because collection rules, input quality, and plant capacity vary across national systems. Each system shapes whether food waste enters feed, digestion, composting, or another approved product use.

• The UK's separate collection rules give recovery plants cleaner commercial food waste from workplaces across England.
• Germany's biowaste quality rules reduce unwanted material entering composting and digestion plants.
• South Korea uses measured food-waste collection to connect household and business waste with organized recovery and biogas production.
• Japan uses food recycling rules to direct business food waste toward approved feed, fertilizer, and other recovery routes.
• Across the USA, regional processing plants give retailers and distributors an outlet for non-donatable food they cannot reuse.

Collection density, nearby plants, and product rules create different business conditions across the five countries. Recovery firms need local outlets that accept each stream without adding high transport or sorting costs.

Country-wise Analysis

• Demand for products from food waste in the UK is forecast to rise at 5.8% CAGR through 2036, supported by separate workplace collection. England requires most workplaces to keep food waste separate from mixed trash. The government put separate workplace collection rules into force in March 2025. Separate business waste gives plants cleaner material for feed, digestion, composting, and other approved uses. Household rules add another regular source of sorted food waste through council collection systems. Animal-by-product rules and catering-waste restrictions limit feed use. Packaging adds removal work and raises treatment cost for mixed loads. Processors recover more value with clear source rules and nearby plants that accept each stream.
• Germany is estimated to post 5.5% CAGR over the forecast period, influenced by stricter checks on biowaste quality. German biowaste rules require plants to check covered loads for unwanted material. In April 2025, Germany's environment ministry confirmed visual checks for every covered biowaste delivery. The rules set plastic limits for food waste and other biowaste entering treatment sites. Cleaner loads reduce sorting work for composting, digestion, and other reuse routes. Suppliers improve acceptance by recording each load's source and sorting steps. Mixed loads raise costs because plants must remove more plastic and other unwanted material. Plants accept loads faster with steady pickup schedules and clear delivery records.
• Adoption of products from food waste in South Korea is estimated to expand at 5.0% CAGR through 2036, enabled by measured collection. National policy links measured food-waste collection with biogas plants that turn wet organic material into fuel. The environment ministry highlighted a large integrated biogas site in July 2025. The site can take 530 tons of food waste each day with livestock manure. Its total daily capacity reaches 950 tons across the combined organic streams. RFID systems record each disposal through an electronic tag and give operators clear waste-volume data. Long transport routes raise costs because wet material is heavy to move. Measured collection gives recovery plants a steadier input for gas and nutrient products.
• Japan's outlook for products from food waste is anticipated to advance at 4.1% CAGR through 2036, shaped by the Food Waste Recycling Act. The Food Waste Recycling Act gives businesses clear rules for reducing food waste and using approved recycling routes. In June 2025, the environment ministry reported 4.64 million tonnes of food loss and waste for FY2023, with businesses accounting for 2.31 million tonnes of that total. A subsequent report released in June 2026 confirmed the FY2024 figure at 4.61 million tonnes. The rules tell businesses how to prevent waste and route remaining material into approved recycling. Prevention reduces the material left for processors to recover. Plants need remaining streams to meet requirements for feed, fertilizer, fuel, or industrial use. Clean inputs help processors make steadier products for approved end uses.
• Sales of products from food waste in the USA are forecast to expand at 3.7% CAGR by 2036, reinforced by EPA guidance. EPA guidance favors uses that keep usable food out of landfill. In December 2025, EPA updated the Wasted Food Scale and kept rendering on the national recovery list. The scale now lists composting and anaerobic digestion as national uses for wasted food. Plants need clean material and nearby pickup routes to keep recovery costs under control. Prevention and donation reduce the edible food left for later recovery. Regional waste-to-energy plants turn remaining non-donatable food into gas and fertilizer. Dense local food-waste flows help those plants serve nearby buyers with lower transport costs.

Who are the notable companies in the Products from Food Waste Market?

Notable companies in the products from food waste market include Bio-bean Ltd., Circular Systems S.P.C., Aeropowder, ReGrained, Toast Ale, Rubies in the Rubble, Divert Inc., GroCycle, and Fruitcycle, representing distinct food-waste conversion routes.

Companies are using different food-waste streams to make different recovered products. Divert removes packaging from unsold food and sends the food into anaerobic digestion to make energy and fertilizer. ReGrained sells upcycled ingredients made from spent brewing grain and other food waste. Circular Systems turns farm residues into fibers through its Agraloop platform. Aeropowder turns surplus poultry feathers into cold-chain packaging for shipments that need stable temperatures. Toast Ale and Rubies in the Rubble sell branded products made from surplus bread and produce. GroCycle grows mushrooms on spent coffee grounds and reuses the spent growing material. UK Companies House recorded Bio-bean's liquidation in March 2025, so Bio-bean is no longer supplying the market. Fruitcycle merged into Together We Bake in 2016 and is no longer operating independently. Operating status matters because inactive firms do not add current processing capacity.

• Divert Inc., Bio-bean Ltd., Circular Systems S.P.C., and Aeropowder use different industrial and material routes for food waste.
• ReGrained, Toast Ale, and Rubies in the Rubble use food waste in ingredients or branded products. Fruitcycle is a historical example.
• GroCycle grows mushrooms on spent coffee grounds and sends the used growing material to other useful outlets.

Competitive Benchmarking: Products from Food Waste Market

Company	Waste-Stream Processing Scale	Value-Added Product Conversion	Feedstock Traceability / Source Control	Geographic Reach
Bio-bean Ltd.	Low	Medium	Low	United Kingdom; operations ceased and company entered liquidation
Circular Systems S.P.C.	Medium	High	Medium	United States with international licensing and brand collaborations
Aeropowder	Low	High	Medium	United Kingdom; documented London base
ReGrained	Medium	High	High	United States; B2B ingredient and retail-partner applications
Toast Ale	Medium	Medium	Medium	United Kingdom
Rubies in the Rubble	Medium	Medium	Medium	United Kingdom
Divert Inc.	High	High	High	United States with stated North American expansion
GroCycle	Low	Medium	Medium	United Kingdom; historical urban-farm activity documented
Fruitcycle	Low	Medium	Medium	United States; historical Washington, D.C. activity before 2016 merger

The benchmark compares processing scale, depth of product conversion, and source records. A High Waste-Stream Processing Scale score marks industrial or multi-site capacity. Medium marks regular commercial output through owned sites or established partners. Low marks small-scale, pilot, or historical production evidence. Value-Added Product Conversion measures how far processing changes waste into a product a company can sell. Feedstock Traceability / Source Control measures how well public records link incoming material to source and quality. A High score requires a formal system. Medium requires public evidence of controls. Low marks basic or historical evidence.

Key Developments in the Products from Food Waste Market

• Divert opened its Integrated Diversion & Energy Facility in Longview, Washington in April 2026. The site can process up to 100,000 tons of unsold non-donatable food each year. The facility adds regional capacity for renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertilizer made from food waste.
• Toast Ale announced a licensing agreement with Freedom Brewery in March 2025. Freedom now brews and sells Toast beers under the agreement, while Toast keeps brand ownership. The arrangement increases production capacity without requiring Toast to build a dedicated brewery for surplus-bread beer.
• Divert and General Produce announced a Northern California food-recovery agreement in November 2025. Divert now sends unsold produce to its Turlock site for unpacking and anaerobic digestion. The agreement turns food waste into renewable energy and soil amendment for local use.

Key Players in the Products from Food Waste Market

Industrial Recovery and Circular Materials

• Bio-bean Ltd.
• Circular Systems S.P.C.
• Aeropowder
• Divert Inc.

Upcycled Food and Beverage Applications

• ReGrained
• Toast Ale
• Rubies in the Rubble
• Fruitcycle

Biological and Local Resource Conversion

• GroCycle

Products from Food Waste Market - Report Scope

Coverage field	Report scope
Market breakdown	Product Type; Source; End Use
Quantitative Units	USD billion
Market Definition	Revenue includes sales of products generated from food waste within the defined Product Type, Source and End Use axes. It excludes waste collection fees, downstream branded finished-product revenue and adjacent outputs outside the listed product types.
Regions Covered	North America; Latin America; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; East Asia; South Asia and Pacific; Middle East and Africa
Countries Covered	USA; UK; Germany; Japan; South Korea
Key Companies	Bio-bean Ltd.; Circular Systems S.P.C.; Aeropowder; ReGrained; Toast Ale; Rubies in the Rubble; Divert Inc.; GroCycle; Fruitcycle
Forecast Period	2026 to 2036
Approach	Primary and secondary research with market triangulation.

Products from Food Waste Market - Research Methodology

Method	Approach
Primary Research	FMI analysts gathered input from manufacturers, service providers, technology developers, distributors, end users, procurement teams, and subject-matter experts. Interviews examined purchasing decisions, product or service evaluation, adoption barriers, approval requirements, pricing considerations, and expectations for technical or commercial support. Respondents were also asked what evidence is required before a trial, pilot, or initial order develops into regular purchasing.
Desk Research	Desk research covered government statistics, regulatory publications, trade data, industry associations, technical literature, standards, company filings, product information, and official corporate announcements. Sources were reviewed for relevance, publication date, geographic coverage, and consistency with the defined market scope. Claims relating to performance, applications, approvals, capacity, investment, and commercial activity were retained only when supported by credible public evidence.
Market Sizing and Forecasting	The market model combined the baseline value with historical performance, segment structure, pricing and volume indicators, adoption levels, company participation, and country-level demand conditions. Forecast assumptions considered economic activity, investment trends, regulatory developments, technology adoption, purchasing cycles, supply availability, and barriers to wider market use. Segment and regional estimates were reconciled before the final market total was calculated.
Data Validation	Estimates were checked against multiple independent indicators, including public data, company activity, trade patterns, industry developments, and findings from primary interviews. Validation also tested whether products, services, applications, and company revenues fell within the defined market boundaries. Adjacent categories, unsupported claims, overlapping revenues, and activities without direct market relevance were excluded to reduce double counting and maintain consistency across segments and countries.

Products from Food Waste Market by Segments

Products from Food Waste Market segmented by Product Type:

• Animal Feed
• Biofuels
• Compost/Fertilizer
• Value-added Chemicals

Products from Food Waste Market segmented by Source:

• Fruit & Vegetable Waste
• Dairy Processing Waste
• Bakery & Cereal Waste
• Others

Products from Food Waste Market segmented by End Use:

• Food Processing
• Beverage Processing
• Cosmetics & Personal Care
• Dietary Supplements & Nutraceuticals
• Animal Feed
• Others

Products from Food Waste Market by Region:

• North America
  • United States
  • Canada
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Argentina
  • Chile
• Western Europe
  • Germany
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Benelux
  • Nordics
• Eastern Europe
  • Poland
  • Czech Republic
  • Romania
  • Hungary
• East Asia
  • China
  • Japan
  • South Korea
• South Asia and Pacific
  • India
  • ASEAN
  • Australia and New Zealand
• Middle East and Africa
  • GCC Countries
  • South Africa
  • Türkiye
  • Israel

Research Sources and Bibliography

• United Nations Environment Programme. (2024, March 27). World squanders over 1 billion meals a day - UN report. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/world-squanders-over-1-billion-meals-day-un-report
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2024, June 12). Biden-Harris Administration Announces National Strategy to Reduce Food Loss and Waste and Recycle Organics.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2024, June). National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics. https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/national-strategy-reducing-food-loss-and-waste-and-recycling-organics
• UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. (2024, January 1). Food and drink waste hierarchy: deal with surplus and waste.
• UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Environment Agency. (2025, March 31). New rules simplifying recycling for workplaces in England come into force.
• Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Germany. (n.d.). National Strategy for Food Waste Reduction.
• Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany. (2025, April 22). Questions and answers on the BioAbfV biowaste regulation.
• Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan. (2025, June 27). MOE Japan Discloses the Estimated Amount of Japan’s Food Loss and Waste Generated in FY2023.
• Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan. (2026, June 30). Estimated amount of Japan's food loss and waste generated in FY2024.
• Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea. (2024, September 2). Take part in the Chuseok food-waste reduction challenge.
• Korea.net / Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea. (2024, January 26). Ministry of Environment, 2024 Major Policy Implementation Plan.
• Divert Inc. (2026, April 29). Divert Opens Longview, Washington Facility to Expand Circular Infrastructure for Unsold Food in the Pacific Northwest.
• Divert Inc. (2026, January 20). Divert, Inc. Secures Funding to Scale Infrastructure Addressing the Wasted Food Crisis in North America.
• Divert Inc. and Nuveen Energy Infrastructure Credit. (2025, March 31). Nuveen Energy Infrastructure Credit Finances Divert.
• Divert Inc. (2024, June 12). Safeway Increases Northern California Food Donations by 20% in Three Months with Optimization Solution from Divert, Inc..
• Upcycled Foods, Inc. (2025, March 3). Upcycled Foods, Inc. and Misfits Market Launch First Upcycled Breads for Grocer’s Private Label.
• Upcycled Foods, Inc. (2024, August 15). Upcycled Foods, Inc. and Atoria’s Family Bakery Launch Brand’s First Upcycled Breads for Grocery and Foodservice.
• Upcycled Foods, Inc. (2024, June 5). Upcycled Foods, Inc. and DeIorio’s Launch Upcycled Pizza Dough Product for Foodservice & Retail.
• Upcycled Foods, Inc. (n.d.). Upcycled Foods, Inc. - Home.
• Toast Brewing. (2025, March 12). Taste Freedom and Raise a Toast.
• Toast Brewing. (2025, July 18). Breakfast Club with St Austell.
• Toast Brewing. (2026, May 22). Impact Reports.
• Forest Green Rovers. (2024, August 12). Rubies in the Rubble Partnership.
• Rubies in the Rubble. (n.d.). Foodservice.
• Circular Systems S.P.C. (2023, March 15). FibreTrace and Circular Systems Join Forces.
• Circular Systems S.P.C. (n.d.). Agraloop.
• Aeropowder. (n.d.). Rethinking Feathers.
• GroCycle. (n.d.). GroCycle Urban Mushroom Farm.
• UK Companies House. (2025, March 4). BIO-BEAN LIMITED insolvency.
• Cornell Club of Washington DC. (2021). Conversation with Alexandria Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker ’07.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2025, April 4). Estimating the Cost of Food Waste to American Consumers.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2025, March). Tools for Preventing and Diverting Wasted Food.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2025, December 12). Wasted Food Scale.
• UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. (2026, March 31). Simpler household recycling rules come into force across England.
• UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Animal and Plant Health Agency. (2025, August 5). Import of any animal feed products containing former foodstuffs.
• Food Standards Agency. (2026). Incidents & Resilience Annual Report 2025/26.
• Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea. (2025, July 25). Environment Minister visits integrated biogas production facility to expand renewable energy.
• Upcycled Foods, Inc. (2025, March 27). Upcycled Foods, Inc. Diversifies Ingredient Portfolio with First Line of Upcycled Whole Raisins for Commercial Market.
• Toast Brewing. (2025, September 9). Jason's Sourdough.
• Toast Brewing. (2025, December 3). Breaking Bread.
• Divert Inc. (2025, June 23). Divert Expands Organics Recycling Program to all Fred Meyer Stores.
• Upcycled Foods, Inc. (2025, September 24). Upcycled Foods, Inc. Receives BEAM Circular Research Grant to Advance Almond Hull Innovation.
• Divert Inc. (2025, November 13). Divert and General Produce Partner to Transform Non-Donatable Food to Renewable Energy, Soil Amendment.

The full report contains additional source detail beyond these entries.

This Report Answers

• How large is the Products from Food Waste Market in 2026 and what value is forecast for 2036?
• Which industry pressures support demand for products recovered from food waste?
• Why does animal feed hold the leading position within product type?
• Why does fruit & vegetable waste hold the leading position within source?
• Which end use segment leads the Products from Food Waste Market?
• How do country growth rates differ from 2026 to 2036?
• Which companies supply or demonstrate relevant food-waste conversion models?
• What limits adoption, input approval, or switching to recovered materials?
• What should buyers evaluate for purchases of feed, fuel, fertilizer, or value-added outputs from food waste?