HelloFresh, Denali Divert 4 Million Pounds of Pre-Production Food Waste from Phoenix Landfills

The hustle and bustle of the average American work and life schedule has prompted the meal kit delivery service market to boom.

With 325 meal delivery services globally battling for their part of the plate, the market is estimated to increase at a 15.3 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2023 and 2030, according to Grand View Research.

The demand for at-home and chef-prepped options has bolstered the need for meal kit delivery service companies such as HelloFresh to refine waste diversion efforts and reduce the food waste generated in the pre-production process.

The Berlin-based meal kit provider recently partnered with organics recycler Denali to divert an estimated 4 million pounds of food waste from Phoenix landfills by the end of 2024. The companies began collaborating in 2023 to recycle pre-consumer food waste at HelloFresh facilities in Goodyear and Phoenix, Ariz.

“HelloFresh is an innovator in disrupting the traditional food supply chain with its sustainable business model and tremendous efforts in reducing food waste throughout their processing centers,” commented Denali Chief Revenue Officer Ilia Kostov. “Denali is proud to be their recycling partner in the state of Arizona where our collaboration demonstrates the potential to revolutionize how we recycle inedible food for the benefit of communities and the planet.”

Utilizing Denali's depackaging machines, HelloFresh successfully separated food waste which was transferred to organics facilities for composting and animal feed for local farmers. Innovative Waste Recycling (IWR) provided logisitics support for the program.

The equipment mechanically separates packaging from food.

"These are ingredients that cannot be placed in HelloFresh meal kits due to quality issues - typically food scraps resulting from produce, dairy products, and bread, as well as other ingredients that are too close to their expiration dates," the company stated.

The organics are mixed with green waste including grass and tree branches, resulting in 20,000 tons of compost, which is then offered for sale in local Phoenix stores.

The 4 million pounds of food waste diverted from landfills prevents the release of nearly 1,307 tons of greenhouse gases, according to the companies.