New York City Launches Mandatory Food Waste Tracking for Large Restaurants​

New York City has rolled out a groundbreaking mandatory food waste tracking program for restaurants with annual revenues over $1 million, aiming to cut the city’s food waste by 30% by 2030. The initiative, which took effect on October 1, 2025, requires participating eateries to log daily food waste—including unused ingredients, expired produce, and customer leftovers—into a city - approved digital platform.​
Under the rule, restaurants must categorize waste by type (e.g., fruits/vegetables, meat, grains) and weight, then submit monthly reports to the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The DSNY will use the data to identify waste hotspots and offer personalized advice, such as adjusting ingredient orders or redesigning portion sizes. Restaurants that fail to comply face fines ranging from 
​
200to
1,000 per violation.​
Local restaurant owners have mixed reactions. Maria Lopez, owner of a mid - town Italian bistro, said, “At first, it felt like extra work, but after a month, we realized we were overordering tomatoes by 20%. We’ve cut costs and waste already.” However, John Chen, who runs a busy Chinatown dim sum spot, expressed concerns: “Small teams like ours struggle to find time for daily logging. We need more support with training.”​
To ease implementation, the city has partnered with tech firms to provide free access to user - friendly tracking apps and hosted 50+ workshops for restaurant staff. Early data shows promising results: in the first two months, 78% of participating restaurants reduced food waste by an average of 12%.​
DSNY Commissioner Laura Torres emphasized, “This isn’t just about punishment—it’s about building a more sustainable food system. When restaurants waste less, they save money, and we reduce methane emissions from landfills.” The program will expand to smaller restaurants (revenues 
​
500k–
1M) in 2026, marking a key step in New York’s fight against food waste.