The issue of urban waste is indeed escalating, particularly the management of food waste, now recognized as a critical environmental concern. Community food waste collection faces challenges such as limited involvement, complex procedures, and low satisfaction. To address this, insights from effective waste management models were drawn upon, advocating a positive experience approach emphasizing user-friendliness and value co-creation for enhanced engagement and sustainability. This approach focuses on delivering a enjoyable participation experience, fostering increased community involvement and overall satisfaction, facilitating efficient food waste segregation and recycling. Through close collaboration with users and designers, a comprehensive three-step design strategy was formulated to effectively address potential efficiency and acceptance hurdles. This user-centric study aims to align the community food waste collection system with user preferences, enhancing the overall user experience. Through data collection and rigorous analysis, a multiple linear regression model was developed to reveal the interrelation between users’ motivation for waste separation and various influencing factors. The study’s results highlight that a community food waste recycling system based on positive experiences significantly improves participation and recycling outcomes, offering valuable insights for other communities engaged in waste separation and recycling initiatives.