Recup project counteracts food waste through participatory and inclusive action. Volunteers, on a weekly basis, at the end of specific open air markets, receive from dozens of merchants crates of unsold products. Each participant then select the edible food and redistribute it mostly on-site for free. Anyone who supports and helps during the recovery and selection process is entitled to receive a portion of what has been “saved”, obviously with the utmost respect for others and their needs. The association is supported by the Municipality of Milan.

According to ONU statistics, the 17% of the food bought globally is thrown away. In 2019, 931 million tons of food were wasted, causing between the 8% and the 10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. Wasting food is also wasting the natural resources (such as water), workforce (involved in the agricultural field) and energy (used for the transport of food)

Recup volunteers work in 10 different markets in the city of Milan and since April 2020 they’re active in the wholesale market “Milano Foody”. They work in two open air markets respectively in Busto Arsizio and Rome too, where they also work in the wholesale market “Ostiense”. Every week they recover nearly 1.5 tons of food and since 2016 the association managed to recover nearly 100 tons of fruit and vegetables that otherwise would have been simply thrown away.

The act of receiving what would have gone to waste is done without creating specific distinctions between people who engage in the activity because they are struggling economically, those who are actively interested in tackling the issue at hand and those who are simply an intrigued passer-by. The outcome is a spontaneous and convivial atmosphere, within a multicultural and multigenerational environment, which allows to respond to the increasingly evident need of greater social cohesiveness and simultaneously reduce food waste.

During Italy’s first lockdown (March - May 2020), RECUP’s usual actions within the open-air markets were suspended due to the health regulations enforced by the government. However the team, instead of standing still, supported the municipality acting at Milan’s central wholesale food market, while managing to increase the number of volunteers from 40 enrolments in 2019 to 125 at the end of 2020. Today, Recup counts 250 associate members.