This study investigates the effectiveness of explicit policymaking with targets for food loss and waste (FLW) reduction. Using a unique dataset on the status of policymaking for FLW reduction across Japanese municipalities and an instrumental variable (IV) strategy, we estimate the causal effect of policymaking on FLW reduction in households. We found that having policymaking with targets for FLW reduction in municipal solid waste (MSW) policy induces a reduction in waste output by approximately 8%, indicating that the policy is working as intended. These estimates are unconfounded with other waste redacting-recycling policies such as collection frequency and unit-based pricing systems. Our results suggest that it is important not only to provide insight into the impact of policymaking with targets on the FLW reduction but also to increase our understanding of the impact of public policy decision-making at the municipal level on environmental outcomes.