Innovative depackaging technology turns HelloFresh food waste into compost and animal feed

Denali, a major U.S. organics recycler, has partnered with HelloFresh, the leading meal kit provider, to repurpose nearly 4 million pounds of food waste in Phoenix, Arizona. This collaboration focuses on converting food scraps into valuable products like compost and animal feed, contributing to a circular economy by reintegrating waste into agricultural use. The initiative helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by diverting food waste from landfills.

Launched in 2023, the programme targets pre-consumer food waste from HelloFresh’s facilities in Goodyear and Phoenix. Denali’s depackaging technology plays a key role by efficiently separating food waste from its packaging, with logistical support from Innovative Waste Recycling (IWR), a national waste management company. The depackaging process involves machinery that mechanically removes cardboard, plastic, and other packaging from food items that cannot be included in HelloFresh meal kits due to quality or expiration issues.

The depackaged food waste is then mixed with green waste, such as lawn clippings, to produce nutrient-rich compost. Each year, Denali generates more than 20,000 tons of compost in Phoenix, which is available for purchase in local stores. This compost nourishes local farms and gardens, while the food scraps are also transformed into sustainable animal feed for local farmers.

Jeff Yorzyk, Senior Director of Sustainability, HelloFresh North America, said: At HelloFresh, we are on a mission to create a more sustainable food system. Denali enables us to repurpose inedible food and instead use it to feed animals and produce compost for gardens and other agricultural needs throughout Arizona. We are committed to further reducing food waste at all our U.S. processing centres and are grateful for partners like IWR and Denali who help us achieve these sustainable practices.

Denali’s depackaging technology has enabled HelloFresh to streamline the recycling of food waste from its Phoenix-area production centres, contributing to environmental sustainability efforts.