1Imagine a restaurant where there is no rubbish bin. No plastic, no food waste, nothing thrown away. It sounds impossible, but Baldío — a restaurant in Mexico City — has made this a reality. Every day, this restaurant throws away almost nothing. How do they do it?

2The secret is their relationship with local agriculture. The chef works directly with small farms near the city. She buys vegetables, fruit, and herbs that are fresh and in season. Because the food is local and seasonal, it is better quality — and she can control exactly how much she buys. She never orders more than she needs.

3But what about the food that is left over? In most restaurants, leftovers go straight in the bin. At Baldío, the chef uses every part of every ingredient. Carrot tops become a sauce. Bread from yesterday becomes breadcrumbs for tomorrow. Fish bones make a delicious broth. Nothing is wasted.

4Meat and fish cut down on waste by using every part of the animal — not just the popular parts. The kitchen also composts all organic food waste, which returns to the farm as fertiliser. It is a perfect circle: farm → restaurant → farm.

5The restaurant is not easy to run. It requires a lot of creativity and planning. But the chef believes that restaurants have a responsibility to the environment. "We want to show people," she says, "that it is possible to eat well AND respect the planet at the same time." Baldío has set up a model that other restaurants around the world are now trying to copy.

6Could this idea catch on in Europe? Many cities already have zero-waste shops where customers bring their own containers. Apps like Too Good To Go help people buy food that restaurants and supermarkets would otherwise throw away. Zero waste is growing — and it is delicious.