Even with the best prevention and rescue systems in place, some food waste is inevitable. Channeling safe food sidestreams into animal nutrition is one of the most widely used recycling solutions to extract value out of that wasted food. In the U.S., 11.4% of surplus food was repurposed as animal feed in 2024.

Published today, a new report from ReFED with technical leadership from The Centre for Feed Innovation, titled “Closing the Loop: Evaluating Food Waste-to-Feed Pathways for a Circular Food System,” reviews eight waste-to-feed technologies to identify which pathways are gaining real commercial traction and which present the greatest opportunities for positive impact. For capital providers and food businesses alike, the report offers insights into the most fundable—and genuinely circular—solutions in waste-to-feed.

What’s in the new report?

In addition to a summary of eight food waste pathways to animal feed assessing commercial viability and environmental footprints, the report includes four deep dives into innovative and underutilized approaches:

• Single-cell proteins are emerging as one of the more promising options, especially in aquaculture and pet food. Their growth path is fairly well understood, so long as producers can secure affordable clean energy, reliable feedstocks, and the necessary regulatory approvals.

• Insect farming has drawn a lot of capital, but the sector is still struggling with high production costs, regulatory hurdles, and relatively weaker environmental performance. Plus, current rules prevent producers from using most types of food waste as feed, which limits how quickly the industry can expand.

• Swill feeding is already well established in parts of Asia thanks to supportive policies and infrastructure, demonstrating an industrial-scale viable use of post-consumer food waste. Realizing the same benefits in the U.S. and Europe will require investment in collection and processing infrastructure and regulatory reform.

• Biochar feed additives are carving out a thus far small but interesting niche. They have the potential to reduce methane emissions, recycle nutrients, and generate carbon credits, creating both a climate and financial upside. Lowering production costs, answering remaining questions about technical performance, and clear regulatory frameworks can unlock biochar feed additives’ full potential.

What’s the main takeaway?

As the report identifies, current waste-to-feed pathways embody a spectrum of maturity, scalability, and regional applicability. Even if no single pathway offers a universal solution, collectively they point to meaningful opportunities to reduce disposal costs and potentially displace carbon-intensive feed crops and fishmeal, as well as improve resource efficiency across supply chains.

What should funders and businesses do with this information?

The report is meant to support funders and businesses in determining which approaches are the best fits for their business or capital goals by comparing their production processes, stages of commercial and technological readiness, environmental footprints, and outlooks.

For businesses, adoption decisions will depend on proximity to feedstocks, logistics feasibility, and regulatory frameworks. For funders, the choice is between backing established models with incremental gains or engaging with newer approaches that carry higher risk but the potential for long-term impact.

How can I access the report?

You can download the full report here. If you’d like to get in touch with the report’s authors, you can reach out to Sharyn Murray, Director of Impact Capital Programs at ReFED.