“Faster, smarter, and more sustainable”: Leuven collects ‘instant’ food surpluses

Is there a faster, more flexible, and sustainable solution to rescue food surpluses from the landfill and get them to social organizations? In Leuven, a pilot project put it to the test: cargo bikes transported food surpluses from retailers and restaurants to local social organizations.

Leftovers, fresh and last-minute

The European GREEN-LOG project, which ran from November 2025 to March 2026, used cargo bikes to collect food surpluses from local retailers and deliver them to social organizations. The goal: to develop a flexible logistics system that responds to unpredictable, last-minute transport needs while simultaneously reducing food waste.

After all, food surpluses are often unpredictable, must be picked up quickly, and are frequently only available after stores have closed. For organizations with limited resources, this poses an operational challenge. GREEN-LOG sought to eliminate these friction points through a digital platform that matched supply and demand in real time and bundled pickup trips.

During the pilot period, ten retailers committed to donating surplus food. In total, cargo bike couriers made 66 pickups, amounting to 354 bins of food and a reduction of nearly 1.1 tons of carbon dioxide. This emission reduction stems from avoiding food waste and replacing 189 kilometers of diesel-powered trips. Eleven organizations received food surpluses, ranging from fruits and vegetables to more expensive products such as meat and fish.

Scale is crucial

Despite the environmental benefits and social value, the pilot project did reveal structural limitations. Existing initiatives such as Too Good To Go reduce the available volume of surplus food. Furthermore, volumes fluctuate significantly, which hinders efficient logistical consolidation. Additionally, the short duration of the project posed a challenge.

Scale therefore proved to be of essential importance. The partners involved are therefore currently exploring a follow-up process. A long-term collaboration model, with a three-year horizon, should ensure increased scale, more stable volumes, and financial sustainability, including compensation for couriers.