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The FEED MKE Pilot Project

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Tackling Food Waste, Feeding Our Community

Thanks to funding from a USDA Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreement, the City of Milwaukee's Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO) is proud to launch the FEED MKE Pilot Project. 

The FEED MKE Project stems from "Idea #9: Waste Reduction and Sustainable Consumption" from the Ten Big Ideas outlined in the Milwaukee Climate and Equity Plan.  This exciting two-year initiative brings together public, private, and government partners to take on some of our community's biggest challenges: food insecurity, waste reduction, landfill diversion – and environmental impact. 

Expected Pilot Project Outcomes

 

✔ increase access to nutritious food

✔ redistribute surplus food to hungry people

✔ collect, glean, and prepare edible food for consumption

✔ use leading industry metrics to track our outcomes

✔ recommend solutions to improve the food system

✔ reduce waste at the beginning, middle, and end of the food cycle

✔ reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 260 metric tons of C02e

✔ support ongoing collaborations in the community

✔ compost ~250K pounds of food waste to improve soil health

Four Key Objectives in Support of Goals

FEED MKE - Raising Awareness - People Talking in a Restaurant

Raising Awareness

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Small Actions, Big Impact: Reducing Food Waste Together:  Food waste isn’t just about what we discard—it’s about protecting our environment and using resources wisely. FEED MKE raises awareness through podcasts, workshops, and public events. Get involved and learn practical tips like meal planning, smart storage, creative leftover use, freezing, fermenting, reviving aging produce, and decoding date labels. Every step counts—let’s build a more sustainable Milwaukee together!

FEED MKE - Building Partnerships - People Gathered at a Farmer's Market

Building Partnerships

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Connecting Surplus Food with Those in Need: FEED MKE unites gleaners, growers, restaurants, and grocers with food pantries, soup kitchens, and community groups to fight hunger and reduce waste. Food safety is a top priority—we partner with the Milwaukee Health Department to ensure all donations meet safety standards. Want to donate, volunteer, or access resources? We’ll connect you with organizations that can help.

FEED MKE - City-Wide Challenge - People Learning in a Kitchen Environment

Launching a Challenge

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A Year of City-Wide Action: Launching in April 2025, Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s Food Saver Challenge unites Milwaukee in the fight against food waste. Timed to kick off with Food Waste Prevention Week, this year-long initiative connects restaurants, growers, food recovery groups, and residents to make a lasting impact. In partnership with Plastic-Free MKE, it also expands the Lake Friendly Business Program, helping restaurants and residents reduce single-use plastics. Learn more and get involved!

FEED MKE - Investing in Solutions - People Working in a Garden Hoop HouseInvesting in Solutions

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Food Recovery & Composting Initiatives

We awarded $190,000 in mini-grants to support local food recovery and composting efforts, reducing waste across Milwaukee. FEED MKE Mini-Grant recipients lead the way—expanding food pantry support, gleaning services, donation networks, and composting solutions. They represent a dedicated community of solution providers working to feed hungry people and keep edible food out of landfills.  Stay tuned as they share their progress with the community!

  

The Impact of Food Waste

Food waste impacts our environment, economy, and community. In landfills, food scraps release methane, a potent greenhouse gas (International Energy Agency, 2022), while overproduction and excess packaging waste resources and drive financial loss (ReFED, 2025).

How can we assess the problems and create solutions?

Click on each of the tabs below to learn more:

  • Global Impact
  • National Snapshot
  • Government Strategy
  • Wisconsin's Resources
  • Milwaukee's Solution

Global Impact–How Food Waste Impacts Planetary Health

Food loss, hunger, and waste are global issues.

The United Nations Environmental Program Climate Change Council estimates that in 2022, 1.05 billion tons of food were wasted, while 783 million people went hungry and a third of the global population faced food insecurity. (UNCC, 2024)

Food Waste: A Global Crisis and Opportunity

UN Report on Food WasteIn 2022, 1.05 billion tons of food were wasted while 783 million people went hungry, and a third of the global population faced food insecurity (UNCC, 2024). Food loss and waste contribute 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions—nearly five times more than the aviation sector—while also driving biodiversity loss and using up a third of the world’s agricultural land.

Beyond environmental damage, food waste has massive economic repercussions, costing the global economy an estimated $1 trillion annually. Given the vast resources required for food production, wasted food means wasted land, water, energy, and labor.

The good news? Food recovery and composting are powerful, interconnected solutions. Reducing food waste can cut emissions, improve resource efficiency, and strengthen food security. The United Nations calls for national climate plans (NDCs) that address food waste across all industries and supply chains, emphasizing the need for policies, technology, education, and infrastructure to drive meaningful change.

Read the UN Environment Program Food Waste Index Report Here 

National Snapshot–What Food Waste Looks Like in the United States

Fixing Our Broken Food System

In the U.S., 31% of all food goes unsold or uneaten—and most of that goes to waste (ReFED 2025).

ReFED US Data on Food WasteThe U.S. food system is highly inefficient—31% of the 237 million tons of food produced in 2023 went unsold or uneaten. While some of this surplus food is donated or recycled, the vast majority—63 million tons—ends up in landfills, incinerators, down drains, or left to rot in fields. That’s nearly 120 billion lost meals, equating to 1.4% of U.S. GDP.

Food waste isn't just a loss of food—it wastes the resources used to grow, transport, and prepare it. Recognizing its environmental and economic impact, the United Nations, U.S. government, European Parliament, and global business leaders have committed to cutting food loss and waste in half by 2025 or 2030 (ReFED, 2025).  ReFED’s Roadmap to 2030: Reducing U.S. Food Waste outlines seven key action areas for reducing food waste, supported by its Insights Engine, a comprehensive data hub analyzing waste by sector, state, food type, cause, and impact. With over 40 proven solutions, it provides a clear path to meaningful change.

Download the ReFED Roadmap to 2030 Report Here 

Wisconsin's Resources–Collaborations With Organizations Across the State

Statistically Speaking

Food waste and scraps make up the largest part of trash in Wisconsin landfills.

DNR Wasted FoodFood waste is the largest contributor to Wisconsin landfills, with 1.2 billion pounds discarded annually—while 1 in 7 households face food insecurity (WDNR, 2021).  More than 15.4% of waste in this region comes from food, exceeding the state average. 

Wasted food means wasted resources, time, and money. Reducing food waste conserves resources, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthens food security.

To tackle the issue, the WDNR launched a statewide food waste management evaluation, aiming to expand food recovery, composting, and resource-sharing among organizations and municipalities. Solutions are in progress to help Wisconsin reduce food waste and keep organic materials out of landfills.

Read the DNR's Food Waste Management Summary Here 

 

Government Strategy–How Government Agencies Are Working Together

The Numbers Tell the Story

In the United States, the data on food waste is staggering – and plans to address the problem require commitment and effort.

US Food Waste Strategy ReportOn June 12, 2024 the United States released the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics.  This comprehensive plan includes inter-agency cooperation from several key federal partners.

This National Strategy lays out a path for the United States to meet its national goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50% by 2030. The actions outlined in this strategy will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions (including methane), save households and businesses money, and build cleaner communities by reducing food loss and waste.  The four main objectives in the National Strategy involve using the EPA Wasted Food Scale to: prevent food loss; prevent food waste; increase the recycling rate for all organic waste; and support policies that incentivize and encourage food loss and waste prevention and organics recycling.

Read the US Food Waste Strategy Here 

Milwaukee's Solution–The Power of Public-Private Partnerships

The Data is Clear

Feed hungry people, reduce waste, and promote more sustainable consumption in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

EPA Wasted Food ScaleMilwaukee County has the second-highest food insecurity rate in Wisconsin, with 18.3% of residents and more than 1 in 4 children in the City of Milwaukee facing daily food insecurity. This challenge is compounded by poverty, health disparities, and crime (Feeding America, 2023; Hunger Task Force, 2024).

FEED MKE builds solutions through partnerships that provide the infrastructure to reduce food waste, expand food recovery, increase composting, support soil remediation, and strengthen urban agriculture—particularly for underserved farmers.

Aligned with the EPA Wasted Food Scale, FEED MKE prioritizes waste reduction, redistribution of edible food, and composting expansion at all stages of the food system. By bridging public-private partnerships, the initiative enables Milwaukee to implement effective, scalable solutions to fight hunger and create a more sustainable food system.

Get Involved with FEED MKE and Help Us Grow 

 

 

Ways for You to Get Involved

Work With FEED MKE and Join The FEED MKE Coalition

ECO FEED MKE Field Trip to MMSSD – People on Top of the Milorganite Building

Join the FEED MKE Coalition!

The Food Excess, Equitable Distribution Coalition (FEED MKE) is a public-private partnership dedicated to reducing food waste and feeding Milwaukee residents.

We’re expanding our network to bring together community members, food recovery agencies, composting advocates, food banks, educators, environmental experts, and climate activists—alongside business owners, urban farmers, hospital and hotel directors, event coordinators, and policymakers.

As we grow, we’re hosting more food recovery and community-focused events—and we want you to be part of it!

Everyone is Welcome!

Join us in making a difference. Sign up below to get involved!

LEARN MORE ABOUT FEED MKE 

Explore the Milwaukee Food System

Our collaborative partners at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Institute of System Change and Peacebuilding (ISCP), The Milwaukee Food Council, and the USDA's Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAPed) program engaged in a multi-phase project to map the Milwaukee Food System Ecosystem using Kumu online mapping tools.

This process aimed to determine how organizations serve the city, identify overlapping services, and uncover gaps in the food system that present opportunities for new initiatives.

Explore the map to learn about food system work in your community. Instructions are below, and feel free to share any organizations, feedback, or questions with the mapping team.

Review Wisconsin's Place on the EPA's Excess Food Map

The EPA Excess Food Opportunities Map was developed to support nationwide diversion of excess food from landfills. The map identifies and displays facility-specific information about potential generators and recipients of excess food, as well as related infrastructure. The map also provides estimates of excess food for each facility where data is available. As a whole, the map helps users understand the geographic dimensions of excess food as a resource, and identify potential recipients, such as food banks and composting and anaerobic digestion facilities, in lieu of landfills and combustion facilities. The map can also be used to identify infrastructure gaps and to assess the feasibility of developing new recipient facilities. 

View instructions for using the map.

The map displays the locations of almost a million potential excess food generators and the locations of almost 15,000 potential recipients of excess food. Additional map layers are imported from USDA’s Food Environment Atlas and USDA’s Food Access Research Atlas. These layers provide context for excess food generation and recovery opportunities including environmental justice indicators, food access indicators, and prevalence of food assistance program participation. For more details on these layers’ data and sources, and for full functionality of these layers, visit the Food Environment Atlas or the Food Access Research Atlas.

Be A Part of the Solution

Join FEED MKE in reducing food waste and building a stronger, more sustainable community. Stay informed, get involved, and help create a future with less waste and more opportunity.

REACH OUT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FEED MKE, GET INVOLVED, OR BE IN TOUCH 

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