The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a grant agreement worth USD 3 million with the Mongolian government to improve food waste recycling in local communities.

“Discarded food waste sullies the city and can be unhealthy for the people living here. Implemented jointly with the government, the grant will help improve the living conditions in Ulaanbaatar by introducing participatory food waste recycling practices,” said Pavit Ramachandran, ADB country director for Mongolia.

Around 1.2 million tons of solid waste is generated annually in Ulaanbaatar, but less than 20 percent of them is recycled. Food waste is typically dumped in formal or informal landfills, according to the ADB.