The fashion capital of Italy may soon have a new namesake thanks to an innovative food waste project established by the city. Milan is one of the first cities in Europe to implement a comprehensive food waste policy with three hubs set up to recover food from supermarkets and restaurants and redistribute it to those in need.

The project was launched in 2019 with the goal of halving food waste in the city by 2030. Currently, Milan's food waste hubs recover an estimated 130 tonnes of food per year, the equivalent of around 260,000 meals.

The food waste project is a collaborative effort, with public agencies, food banks, charities, NGOs, universities and private businesses coming together to save food from landfill.

"It's about making our food systems more sustainable and less wasteful," said Federica Giannotta, head of advocacy and Italian programs at Terre des Hommes Italy, an NGO that runs one of the hubs.

"And of course helping those families that are really in need of support."

Milan's efforts in the fight against food waste were recently recognised in Prince William's Earthshot Prize awards. The city won an Earthshot Prize and over a million pounds to put towards the continuation of the project.

Two more hubs will open in new neighbourhoods over the coming months.