Food Waste Intelligence

Closing out a year with increasing focus on the importance of food waste reduction, the U.S. released its Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics in early December.

Release of the Draft National Strategy is significant, and in fact long overdue, as the U.S. committed to halving food loss and waste reduction in support of Target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back in 2015 – and a united, measurement-focused strategy is needed to get the U.S. on the proper pathway with urgency.

Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center has partnered with technology provider Leanpath in a new effort to reduce its food waste by 50 percent.

The hotel’s food waste reduction goal aligns with parent-company Marriott International’s corporate-wide goal of cutting food waste in half by 2025.

This post is part of a Leanpath culinary blog series looking at ideas for repurposing commonly overproduced menu items.

We encounter quite a lot of broccoli in foodservice operations’ waste data. Whether it be trim waste–i.e throwing away edible stalks–or overproduced cooked broccoli that is discarded, there are various innovative things kitchen teams can do to keep broccoli out of the bin and ensure its purchase value is retained. 

Broccoli has several qualities that make it the ideal ingredient to repurpose. Its sustenance and good value relative to its weight make it the perfect yield increasing ingredient to add to dishes. Broccoli’s low calorie and high nutrition and vibrant color also make it a repurposing super food which is also quick to cook, further enhancing its repurposing potential.

Earlier this month, the US EPA’s food recovery hierarchy, the upside downtriangle which has guided food waste reduction efforts since the 1990s, got a makeover.

And that’s a good thing, as it reflects the continued evolution of research and elevation of activity on food waste reduction.

Leanpath CEO Andrew Shakman has been named one of this year’s Meaningful Business 100, among a global group of leaders combining profit and purpose to tackle the world’s most pressing issues.

The 5th edition of the award recognizes social entrepreneurs, corporate leaders and impact investors whose work supports the UN Global Goals; in Leanpath’s case, Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 to halve global food waste by 2030.