Upcycled Foods: Turning “waste” into nutrition, jobs, and climate wins

If you're in precision agriculture, you know the goal is maximum efficiency: using data and technology to grow more food with fewer resources. But what happens after harvest? A staggering amount of that carefully cultivated food never reaches a plate. This isn't just an inefficiency; it's a crisis with profound implications for our climate and global food security. As someone passionate about strengthening food security, I’m curious about this simple idea: when we treat food byproducts as ingredients, not garbage, we unlock a triple win for people, planet, and local economies.

Upcycled foods do precisely that. Startups and established brands are transforming fruit peels, vegetable pulp, spent grain, whey, and even cacao shells into chips, flours, sauces, and drinks. The result: fewer methane-belching landfills, more affordable nutrition, and new revenue streams that make our food system more resilient.

“Nearly 40% of U.S. food goes unsold or uneaten—worth hundreds of billions and with a climate footprint rivaling U.S. aviation.” The Guardian

The scale of the problem (and the opportunity)

• In the U.S., roughly 40% of food grown annually goes uneaten—about 145B meals with a market value near $473B and a climate impact, due to the release of methane gas, comparable to the entire U.S. aviation sector. The Guardian

• Globally, >1 billion tons of food were wasted in 2022; the World Bank pegs loss/waste costs at $1.2T (2020). Perishable News

• There’s no silver bullet; experts point to policy, supply-chain optimization, education, rescue, and recycling working together. Upcycling is a practical lever that engages consumers while broader fixes scale. The Guardian

What counts as “upcycled”?

Upcycled foods use safe, edible inputs that otherwise wouldn’t go to human consumption—surplus crops, trim, or byproducts, via verifiable supply chains with measurable environmental benefit. That’s the basis of the Upcycled Certified® standard, the first third-party certification for upcycled products. The Guardian

And while our grandparents “upcycled” long before it had a name (hello, sauce from ugly tomatoes), new tech is the unlock—think spent brewer’s grain into high-fiber flours or cacao shells and pulp into snacks and beverages—bringing quality and scale that can shift markets. Bon Appétit

The business case (impact has to pencil out)

• The global upcycled products market was about $53.7B in 2021 and projected to reach ~$97B by 2031. The Guardian

• Certification drives demand: consumer purchase intent rises when the Upcycled Certified® mark appears on-pack; certified portfolios keep expanding. The Guardian

• Reality check: nearly half of U.S. waste happens at home; upcycling alone won’t solve it, but visible products educate eaters and normalize waste-smart habits. The Guardian

• The innovation happening in this space is remarkable. Around the world, startups are giving food a second life:

  • Forty million tons of spent grain from beer production is being transformed into bread, pasta, and supplements.

  • Fifty-four million tons of discarded coffee grounds are being respun into gin, flour, and energy bars.

  • Coconut flesh, usually binned after water extraction, is being made into yogurt.

  • Fruit and vegetable skins are finding new life in dried snacks and juices.

Meet the makers: six companies turning scraps into staples

Pulp Pantry (U.S.) – Cold-pressed juice leaves mountains of fiber-rich pulp. Pulp Pantry collects ~10,000 lb at a time and turns it into high-fiber chips—capturing nutrition and cutting landfill methane. The Guardian

Matriark Foods (U.S.) – Converts farm surplus and fresh-cut remnants into low-sodium sauces and broth concentrates for institutions and food banks. Impact metrics: ~0.9 lb waste diverted, ~2.23 lb GHG avoided, 102 gal water saved per gallon of broth concentrate. Food Tank

Spare Food Co (U.S.) – Systems thinking in SKU form: a veggie “Spare Starter” for kitchens, Spare Tonic using whey from Greek-yogurt production, and a 30%-veggie blended burger in the works—targeting waste from farm to plate. The Guardian

Blue Stripes (U.S.) – Uses the whole cacao pod—shell, beans, and pulp—for granola, cacao “water,” and more. Whole-plant upcycling meets modern snacking. Bon Appétit

SeaMeat / Nomet (EU) – Seaweed (fast-growing, low-input, up to ~32% protein dry weight depending on species) blends into burgers to replace ~25% of meat without ocean flavor. Already commercial as Nomet croquettes in Belgium, with expansion planned. Perishable News

nibs etc. (UK) – Starts with apple pomace (juice byproduct) to make granola and crackers (≈25% upcycled), developing flours and puffs next. Founder Chloë Stewart makes the point: this cuts methane and reduces pressure to grow new inputs. Food Tank

Nature-positive food systems, not just “less bad”

For those of us focused on a sustainable and secure food future, upcycling represents a brilliant convergence of environmental stewardship, economic opportunity, and nutritional innovation. It’s a tangible, market-driven solution that ensures the incredible work of precision agriculture doesn’t end up, quite literally, in the trash.

Of course, some critics note that the concept isn't entirely new—"ugly" fruit has always been used in ketchup and jams. However, with its certifications and consumer awareness, the formal upcycling movement represents a critical attitude shift.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation frames “nature-positive” food as regenerating ecosystems, not just reducing harm. Upcycling helps by lowering demand for new inputs, cutting GHGs, and keeping nutrients in circulation. It pairs perfectly with precision-ag tools (forecasting, grading, harvest timing) and food-rescue logistics. As chef Jehangir Mehta suggests, the ultimate goal is for upcycling to become so ingrained in our food system that the marketing term becomes unnecessary. Ellen MacArthur Foundation+2Ellen MacArthur Foundation+2 

Is “upcycled” just marketing?

Sometimes. The term can be fuzzy. Guardrails—transparent sourcing, third-party certification, and quantified diversion (lb, CO₂e)—keep it honest. I’m especially excited by tech-enabled upcycling (e.g., spent-grain flours), which creates new ingredient classes with real nutrition + performance benefits, not just new labels. "The spirit behind upcycling–'Making the most of food,' like our ancestors have always done–is a solid one," says Maggie Lange. Bon Appétit

Why this matters for food insecurity

• Lower-cost inputs can become affordable products for schools, hospitals, and food banks (Matriark’s playbook is a great example). Food Tank

• Shelf-stable upcycled items (sauces, flours, crackers) match how many families shop—fewer trips, tight budgets, pantry-friendly.

• Behavior change: When a student grabs a certified upcycled snack, that tiny nudge reinforces waste-aware habits at home, where a significant share of waste occurs. The Guardian

Quick recipe box: “Everything-but-the-Peels” Pantry Broth

Use carrot tops, onion skins, celery ends, mushroom stems; simmer 45–60 min with bay + peppercorns; strain and freeze in ice-cube trays. 

What I’m watching next

1. Stronger standards & data – Upcycled certification keeps tightening criteria and impact tracking; more auditable diversion metrics are coming. The Guardian

2. Institutional procurement – Districts and hospitals adding upcycled SKUs can move serious volume where nutrition access matters most. The Guardian

3. Nature-positive portfolios – Retailers redesigning product lines around circular design (diverse, lower-impact, upcycled, regenerative). Ellen MacArthur Foundation+1

Sources & further reading

• Victoria Namkung, “From trash to table: will upcycled food save the planet?”, The Guardian (Feb 22, 2024). The Guardian

• Lucy Handley, “From seaweed burgers to ‘upcycled’ potato chips… ‘nature positive’”, CNBC (Apr 16, 2025) — syndications/roundups referencing the CNBC piece. Perishable News+1

• Charlotte Lytton, “The waste food upcycled into new products”, BBC Future (Aug 17, 2024). (Roundups and author posts pointing to the BBC feature.) Food Tank

• Maggie Lange, “Surprise! Upcycled Foods Are Way Better Than They Sound”, Bon Appétit (Oct 27, 2021). Bon Appétit

• Clare Shanahan, “12 Companies Creating Upcycled Food from Waste Products”, Food Tank (Apr 15, 2024). Food Tank

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: nature-positive food & circular design for food (2023–2025). Ellen MacArthur Foundation+3Ellen MacArthur Foundation+3Ellen MacArthur Foundation+3

Author Bio:

I’m Anika Bhat, a student at Moreau Catholic High School. I’m passionate about tackling real-world challenges through research and advocating for food security. With writing and innovation, I aim to inspire sustainable, equitable solutions for the future.

.