Food-waste startup Mill announced on Tuesday that it has signed a deal with Amazon to deploy its smart food-waste bins in Whole Foods produce departments across the United States, beginning in 2027. As part of the collaboration, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund is also investing in Mill, though the amount of the investment was not disclosed. According to Axios, the company has raised $250 million to date.
Food waste remains a significant challenge for the grocery industry. Approximately 10% of all food — an estimated 43 billion pounds, according to a 2014 study — is discarded annually at U.S. grocery stores. For retailers operating on thin margins, each pound thrown out represents lost revenue and adds to their environmental impact.
Mill aims to address this problem with its sensor-equipped bins, which collect detailed data to help Whole Foods reduce produce waste. After the bins dehydrate and grind the discarded food, the resulting material is repurposed into chicken feed, which will be shipped to Whole Foods’ private label egg suppliers.
