Envisioning a Zero Waste Edmonton: Reimagining Food Waste Diversion and Sustainability
Food waste remains one of the most pressing environmental and social issues facing our communities today. While some progress has been made in rescuing edible food, much more can be done through smarter policies, collaboration, and innovation.
Current Waste Services in Edmonton
Edmonton’s waste management system currently serves more than 430,000 residents across single and multi-family homes. While non-residential and commercial properties are self-managed, residents have access to a wide range of programs including:
Collection services for food scraps, recycling, garbage, and yard waste (with expansion plans being conceptualized)
Drop-off options such as Eco Stations, Big Bin Events, over 15 Community Recycling Depots, and the Edmonton Waste Management Centre.
The city’s 25-Year Waste Management Strategy, approved in 2019, is grounded in a zero-waste framework focused on rethinking, reducing, reusing, recycling, recovering, and responsibly managing residuals.
Food Waste Diversion Goals
Food waste is a major priority in Edmonton’s sustainability efforts. The city aims to:
Prevent and minimize food waste at the source.
Rescue edible food for human use and redirect non-edible waste to animal feed or alternative uses.
Compost or process remaining organic material through anaerobic digestion or waste-to-energy systems.
Currently, 12% of household waste in Edmonton is edible and could be rescued or avoided. Through its Waste Reduction Roadmap 2030, set for City Council approval in 2026, the city plans to engage residents and community partners to reduce waste at home, promote sharing of surplus food, and collaborate on public education initiatives.
The Bigger Picture: ICI and Provincial Challenges
The Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ICI) sector produces nearly 70% of Edmonton’s total waste, with over half being organic material. While up to 80% of ICI waste could be diverted, current diversion rates remain at 20% or less.
Alberta has the highest waste generation per capita in Canada, yet this also presents an opportunity for innovation. Nationwide, an estimated $58 billion in edible food is wasted each year, while 1 in 5 Canadians face food insecurity. In Edmonton alone, 270,000 tonnes of food and organic waste end up in landfills annually, releasing methane — a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than CO₂.
Education, Innovation, and Collaboration
Public education remains critical. Initiatives like “Ugly Produce” campaigns help challenge perceptions of food aesthetics, raising awareness that nearly 50% of food loss happens before products even reach consumers.
The Food Security and Food Justice Ecosystem of Edmonton (FSFJE) project plans to utilize asset mapping tools that have been piloted in other parts of Canada such as Vancouver, with current development and goal to launch a digital food asset map for free/low-cost food resources in 2026 to connect organizations and agencies that can redistribute surplus food more effectively and connect people to local culturally appropriate food resources and programs. Pilot projects and partnerships will play a vital role in testing these innovations and shaping future policy.
Incentives and rebates could further motivate businesses to participate in food rescue and waste diversion efforts, helping make sustainability both practical and rewarding.
Safe Food Handling and Policy Alignment
Not all foods are created equal when it comes to safety and regulation. Fruits and vegetables—especially root crops—are generally low-risk and can be redistributed with minimal inspection. In contrast, high-risk foods like wild meat pose greater challenges due to the lack of standardized processing and testing. Ensuring that all rescued food arrives in a clean and sanitary state remains a top priority for food rescue efforts.
Under Alberta Health Services (AHS) guidelines, only food prepared in controlled environments and unopened containers may be donated. Buffet-style or self-serve foods currently cannot be reclaimed in Edmonton, though other jurisdictions like Montreal have more flexible policies. Expanding these rules may be key to scaling food rescue efforts while maintaining food safety standards.
Advocates are calling on the province to develop policies preventing easily rescuable food from ending up in landfills. While waste haulers have limited jurisdiction, municipalities and provinces can implement bylaws requiring businesses to separate and manage waste streams effectively. The session showcased examples of tying food rescue to climate action strategy, and that regulation without proactive business engagement can hinder buy-in.
Local Action and Collaboration
Organizations like La Tablée des Chefs (Quebec), The Connected Kitchen Project (Edmonton), Leftovers Foundation, Second Harvest, CANAVUA, Rock Soup Greenhouse and Food Bank and Food Banks Canada are leading the way by reclaiming excess food and redistributing it through hampers, school programs, and other community initiatives. Yet, the growing demand for food support outpaces available supply, emphasizing the urgent need for stronger systems and partnerships.
To create lasting impact, we must shift from a punitive approach to one that encourages responsible practices, supports education, and builds networks that make food rescue both feasible and rewarding.
A Shared Vision for the Future
From city-wide collection and public education to innovative partnerships and digital tools, Edmonton is laying the foundation for a sustainable, zero-waste future. Success will depend on collaboration across sectors — government, businesses, and residents — to turn waste into opportunity and ensure good food never goes to waste.
Additional Resources shared:
Food Regulation - Open Government - Alberta Food Regulation AR 31/2006
This session was one of numerous sessions to mobilize knowledge from the community to inform the work of the Food Security and Food Justice Edmonton Collaborative supported by the City of Edmonton Community Safety and Well-Being Grant. To find out more about this project, click on the link below.