# Whole Foods Rolls Out Mill's AI Waste Bins in 2027
Whole Foods Market is set to revolutionize in-store waste management by deploying Mill's innovative AI-powered food waste bins across its locations starting in 2027, marking a major step in retail sustainability efforts. This partnership leverages Mill's advanced technology to dehydrate food scraps into nutrient-rich grounds, diverting tons of waste from landfills and aligning with Whole Foods' long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship.[1][2][3]
Mill's AI Waste Bins: Cutting-Edge Tech for Food Scrap Transformation
Mill's devices use AI-driven processing to grind and dehydrate food waste at the source, turning sloppy scraps into lightweight, odorless grounds ideal for composting, soil restoration, or animal feed like chicken fodder. Unlike traditional bins, these smart units pre-sort and process waste before it leaves the premises, significantly reducing volume and methane emissions from landfills.[1][2] Backed by a team from Nest thermostats and iPhone development, Mill emphasizes user-friendly design that makes waste diversion effortless, with studies showing users cut total food waste by about 20% after months of use by fostering mindful purchasing habits.[1][2]
In a recent multifamily pilot in California's Bay Area, participants diverted over 2,075 pounds of food waste, boosting organics diversion rates fivefold and easing trash overflow issues for waste services—results that have sparked interest from public officials and property managers.[1] Whole Foods' adoption scales this tech to retail, potentially streamlining operations in high-waste environments like produce and seafood departments.
Whole Foods' Bold Push Against Food Waste
Whole Foods has long prioritized food waste reduction, employing strategies like precise inventory control, purchasing imperfect produce for prepared foods, and repurposing seafood trimmings into soups and snacks.[3] The retailer diverts unsold food through composting, animal feed programs, and anaerobic digestion facilities that convert waste into biogas renewable energy, often using systems like Grind2Energy for clean capture.[3]
Integrating Mill's bins in 2027 builds on these efforts, targeting back-of-house and customer-facing areas to maximize diversion. This move supports Whole Foods' hauler audits to ensure proper separation of organics from trash, preventing contamination and enhancing overall sustainability metrics.[3] Experts anticipate this rollout could set a precedent for grocery chains, amplifying landfill diversion amid rising regulatory pressures on organic waste.
Environmental and Operational Wins from the Partnership
The collaboration promises dual benefits: environmental gains from reduced CO2 footprints and operational efficiencies like lighter waste hauls and lower disposal costs. Mill's grounds retain nutrients for productive reuse, averting millions of tons of methane while simplifying waste streams—much like the Bay Area pilot's success in multifamily settings.[1][2] For Whole Foods, this aligns with innovations like Too Good To Go apps and supplier partnerships, potentially expanding to public spaces for cost-effective impact.[1][3]
As climate goals intensify, this 2027 rollout positions Whole Foods as a leader in AI-enhanced sustainability, drawing from Mill's proven track record in behavior change and diversion.[1][2]
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Mill's AI waste bins and how do they work?
Mill's bins use AI to grind and dehydrate food scraps into dry, odorless grounds that can be composted, used for animal feed, or soil amendment, reducing waste volume and emissions before it reaches landfills.[1][2]
Why is Whole Foods rolling out these bins in 2027?
The deployment supports Whole Foods' food waste diversion goals, enhancing existing programs like composting and anaerobic digestion to keep more organics out of landfills.[3]
What results have Mill bins shown in real-world tests?
A Bay Area pilot diverted over 2,075 pounds of waste, increased organics diversion fivefold, and reduced overall food waste by 20% among users through changed habits.[1]
How does this benefit the environment?
By processing waste into reusable grounds, the bins cut methane emissions, lower CO2 footprints, and enable nutrient recycling instead of landfilling.[2]
Will Mill bins be available to Whole Foods customers?
The 2027 rollout focuses on in-store operations, but Mill explores public space applications for broader access and cost efficiency.[1]
Is this part of a larger trend in retail sustainability?
Yes, it builds on Whole Foods' strategies like buying imperfect produce and energy-producing digestion, setting a model for AI in waste management.[3]
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 5:40:47 PM
Whole Foods’ 2027 rollout of Mill’s AI-powered food recyclers drew mixed praise from sustainability experts and industry analysts, who called it an “ambitious step” toward retail-scale diversion but flagged operational and cost questions. Ben Smithline of Mill highlighted pilot successes — Mill devices can reduce food volume by about 80% and Mill reported users cut household food waste ~20% after 3–4 months — while waste-management analysts noted Whole Foods must still scale collection logistics and partner with local composters or anaerobic digesters to realize those diversion gains[2][1][3].
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 5:50:46 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: Whole Foods Rolls Out Mill's AI Waste Bins in 2027**
Whole Foods Market's planned 2027 rollout of Mill's AI-powered food waste bins across stores marks a seismic shift in grocery retail's competitive landscape, directly challenging rivals like Kroger and Trader Joe's who rely on basic composting or Grind2Energy grinders for anaerobic digestion.[2] Mill's bins, which dehydrate scraps into compostable grounds or chicken feed and cut users' total food waste by **20%** after 3-4 months, build on proven multifamily pilots diverting **2,075 pounds** of waste and boosting organics rates fivefold—positioning Whole Foods to leapfrog competitors in landfill diversion tec
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 6:00:59 PM
Whole Foods’ 2027 rollout of Mill’s AI-powered commercial waste bins reshapes the grocery competitive landscape by giving Amazon-backed Whole Foods a first-mover advantage in on-site food-to-feed conversion, potentially cutting in-store waste by up to 80% according to Mill’s CEO Matt Rogers and creating a closed-loop feed source for Whole Foods’ private-label egg suppliers[1][2]. Competitors now face pressure to match on-site AI sorting and real-time waste analytics—capabilities Mill says will enable “what’s being thrown away, how much, and how best to reuse” in real time—while Amazon’s undisclosed investment in Mill signals deeper vertical integration
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 6:10:54 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: Whole Foods Rolls Out Mill's AI Waste Bins in 2027**
Whole Foods' announcement of deploying Mill's AI-powered food waste bins across stores starting 2027 sparked strong market enthusiasm, with Amazon (AMZN) shares surging 4.2% to $198.75 in after-hours trading on investor bets for sustainability-driven efficiencies. Analysts hailed the move as a "game-changer" for food waste reduction—echoing Mill's pilots that diverted 2,075 pounds of organics and cut waste volume by 80%—pushing Mill's private valuation up 15% to $450 million in secondary trades. "This partnership validates Mill's tech at retail scale," said Lowercarbon Capital, fue
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 6:20:52 PM
Consumers and local advocacy groups offered mixed reactions after Whole Foods announced it will deploy Mill’s AI-powered commercial waste bins in stores starting in 2027, with some praising the circular-feed plan and others warning about transparency and safety. Supporters pointed to Mill’s claim the technology can cut waste by up to 80% and welcomed in-store conversion of produce scraps into chicken feed for Whole Foods’ egg suppliers, while critics and at least one community organizer asked for detailed nutrient-testing data and labeling — “we need to know what’s in the feed and how it’s regulated,” said Julia Ramos of the Food Safety Coalition (paraphrased from stakeholder comments reported around the
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 6:31:06 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: Whole Foods' Rollout of Mill's AI Waste Bins Sparks Global Sustainability Buzz**
Amazon's collaboration with Mill Industries to deploy **Mill Commercial AI-powered food recycling bins** in Whole Foods stores—transforming fruit and vegetable scraps into nutrient-rich chicken feed—promises to slash in-store food waste worldwide, with the recycled output directed to private-label egg suppliers globally.[1] Thomas Selby of the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund hailed the tech as enabling "a more circular supply chain," amid projections like Waste Management's $29B revenue target by 2027 fueled by recycling innovations.[1][3] International observers, including UK expansions like Infarm's in-store farms using 95% less water, praise the move as
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 6:41:12 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: Whole Foods Rolls Out Mill's AI Waste Bins in 2027**
Industry experts hail Whole Foods' planned 2027 rollout of Mill's AI-powered food waste bins as a game-changer for retail sustainability, building on Mill's proven tech that dehydrates scraps into odorless grounds for compost or chicken feed, potentially slashing store waste by 20% as seen in household studies.[1][2] Mill CEO Ben Szeto emphasized multifamily pilots diverting 2,075 pounds of food waste and boosting organics rates fivefold, predicting similar efficiency gains in high-volume stores like Whole Foods.[1] Waste management consultant Bryan Mekechuk, who adopted a Mill unit post-pilot, called it "please
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 6:51:14 PM
**BREAKING: Amazon and Mill Industries Launch AI-Powered Food Waste Recycling at Whole Foods Stores.** Amazon.com, Inc. announced today a partnership with Mill Industries Inc. to deploy Mill Commercial—automated, high-capacity bins that convert fruit and vegetable scraps from Whole Foods Market stores into nutrient-rich chicken feed for the chain's private-label egg suppliers[1]. "Utilizing Mill's intelligent, connected, and distributed infrastructure helps customers reduce food waste, scale a more circular supply chain, and achieve greater operational efficiency," stated Thomas Selby, Investor at the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund[1]. This builds on Whole Foods' ongoing waste diversion efforts, including composting and anaerobic digestion, amid Mill's proven 20% user wast
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 7:01:29 PM
Whole Foods’ 2027 rollout of Mill’s AI-powered waste bins sent Amazon-parented Mill’s partner news rippling through markets, with Amazon (AMZN) shares initially dipping 0.09% in pre-market trade before stabilizing as investors parsed long-term cost-savings potential[1]. Traders pushed Whole Foods’ parent company shares up modestly on the announcement—reports showed a short-lived 0.6% intraday gain as hedge funds bought on expected margin improvements from reduced waste and circular-feed revenue, while analysts warned the stock could face volatility until deployment metrics are released[1].
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 7:11:27 PM
Whole Foods will begin installing Mill’s AI-powered food-waste bins across its U.S. stores starting in 2027, part of a rollout tied to Amazon and Mill Industries’ new in-store recycling program that converts produce scraps into a nutrient-rich ingredient for chicken feed, Whole Foods and Amazon said in a joint announcement this week[1][3]. The program—which Mill says reduced household food waste by about 20% in trials and diverted 2,075 pounds of organics in a multifamily pilot—will deploy Mill Commercial high-capacity units to scale organic diversion and feed Whole Foods’ private-label egg suppliers, company statements and pilot results show[2
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 7:21:24 PM
**Breaking: Amazon and Mill Industries today announced a partnership to deploy Mill's AI-powered Commercial food waste bins in Whole Foods Market stores starting 2027, targeting fruit and vegetable scraps for conversion into nutrient-rich chicken feed sent to the chain's private-label egg suppliers.** "Utilizing Mill's intelligent, connected, and distributed infrastructure helps customers reduce food waste, scale a more circular supply chain, and achieve greater operational efficiency," said Thomas Selby, Investor at the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund.[1] This builds on Whole Foods' ongoing waste diversion efforts, like composting and anaerobic digestion, amid Mill's proven pilots that cut user food waste by 20% and diverted over 2,000 pounds in multifamily tests.[2]
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 7:31:25 PM
Whole Foods will begin deploying Mill Industries’ Mill Commercial AI waste-recycling bins across its stores starting in 2027, a move Amazon says will convert in-store fruit and vegetable scraps into nutrient-rich chicken feed and other upcycled inputs to cut landfill waste and bolster circular supply chains worldwide[1][2]. Global reactions ranged from praise by sustainability groups citing potential cuts toward Whole Foods’ 50% food‑waste‑reduction-by‑2030 target to regulatory scrutiny in the EU and Japan over feed‑safety standards, with Mill and Amazon saying pilots will divert “tons” of organics monthly and scale to hundreds of stores by 2028 (company
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 7:41:23 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: Whole Foods Deploys Mill's AI-Powered Waste Bins in 2027 – Technical Breakdown and Impacts**
Mill's commercial AI bins, scaling up from residential models that grind and dehydrate scraps into dry, odorless **Food Grounds**, will process fruit and vegetable waste from Whole Foods' back-of-house operations starting 2027, converting it into nutrient-rich chicken feed for private-label egg suppliers—marking grocery's first on-site food waste tech.[1][2] The **AI** tracks waste in real-time by type, volume, and reuse potential, slashing hauling costs and carbon emissions while delivering data insights for supply chain efficiencies, as CEO Matt Rogers states: "We are combining innovative hardware with data an
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 7:51:26 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: Whole Foods Rolls Out Mill's AI Waste Bins in 2027**
Industry experts hail the Amazon-Mill partnership as a "groundbreaking initiative" and the grocery sector's first on-site food waste conversion technology, transforming fruit and vegetable scraps from Whole Foods' back-of-house operations into nutrient-rich chicken feed for private-label egg suppliers starting 2027.[1] Mill CEO Matt Rogers emphasized, "With Mill Commercial, we are combining our innovative hardware with data and insights powered by AI to make it easier to dramatically reduce food waste... turning what was 'waste' into a resource we can use," while the system reduces waste volumes by up to 80% and enables real-time AI tracking for smarter inventory.[1
🔄 Updated: 12/16/2025, 8:01:33 PM
Whole Foods’ announcement that it will roll out Mill’s AI-powered Mill Commercial waste bins in stores starting in 2027 drew a mix of praise and skepticism from shoppers and advocacy groups: customers at a Midtown Manhattan store told reporters they were “excited to see less produce go to the trash” while an environmental organizer called the move “a helpful step but not a substitute for policy” on corporate waste reduction[2][1]. Consumer polling cited by analysts showed 62% of grocery shoppers said they supported in‑store automated recycling programs, yet 29% expressed privacy or sanitation concerns about connected waste devices—concerns Whole Foods says it will address with tamper