Food Waste Intelligence
Posted By Leanpath on Dec 11, 2024
Every day, Leanpath food waste coaches partner with kitchens around the world to empower their teams to achieve extraordinary results—cutting food waste in half while advancing financial and sustainability goals. Our secret weapon? The unwavering dedication and expertise of our people, who bring 20 years of honed best practices and a relentless passion for innovation to every client interaction. Guided by our proven playbook and inspired by the creativity and commitment of our clients, we’re constantly evolving together. Here are some of the most impactful ideas and timeless strategies shared with us over the past year, showcasing the power of collaboration in driving real change.
In 2024, I visited 237 kitchens and worked with hundreds of chefs, teaching, coaching, and supporting teams. In turn, we learn new best practices every day that we are then able to pass on to others. One kitchen I worked with came up with a Broccoli Chip recipe I love. Broccoli stalk trim is stored in the freezer until enough of the item is saved. The culinary team then cuts them and makes them into a chip shape, batters them, then fries them. The new item is super popular, easy to make, and eliminates broccoli stalk waste.
This year, I visited kitchens across the APAC and EMEA regions. I have come across many best practices from our inspiring customers. One example is a client that centralized and consolidated trimmings in order to process in bulk more efficiently. They repurpose trim into items like cauliflower leaf kimchi. I have seen other creative repurposing, like watermelon rind chutney in India to crackers made from juicer machine fruit and vegetable pulp in Amsterdam.
Joining Leanpath in 2024, I was amazed to see the impact that dedicated teams can have on both saving money and reducing food waste through consistent tracking. Perhaps the most insightful takeaway for me this year has been how organizations are not shying away from talking about food waste with their diners and customers. In fact, bringing the problem front and center – by actually demonstrating how food waste is accurately weighed and classified before disposition – has increased awareness and further reduced food waste. Food waste is not a “back of house” problem – it’s something that everyone can contribute to reducing in some way. What starts as a conversation can grow into a cultural shift.
I work with clients every day to achieve food waste success and overcome challenges. One best practice I picked up from a client this year is that after defining specific food waste targets–in this case they were targeting chicken waste–to set an alert on those specific food items. This is a built-in feature in Leanpath and helps keep focus on your food waste target. This has been helpful for clients, being notified and allowing them to keep a closer eye on food items that directly impact their goal.
My role is to ensure that our clients have the tools and knowledge they need to run successful Leanpath programs. While I serve as a trusted advisor, offering support and suggestions, it’s especially rewarding when customers share the creative ways they reduce food waste and engage their teams in tracking with Leanpath. For example, some kitchen teams I’ve worked with this year have inspired their staff by using creative equivalencies, such as comparing the waste they’ve prevented to the weight of a school mascot, an animal, or another meaningful object. They post the weight in a central location and challenge their teams to waste less than the object’s weight over a fiscal quarter or academic semester, tracking progress weekly.
I focus primarily on data analysis to understand my clients’ habits, and spot trends across multiple countries to advise on how to reduce food waste. For larger clients that span multiple locations and regions, involving multiple sites together in coaching calls to focus on common waste reduction goals can be both useful and powerful. That’s why we like gathering positive momentum through food waste reduction competitions, where kitchens are invited to share their creativity to find ways to reduce their waste. With this experience, I have been witnessing fantastic ways to repurpose food, such as turning overripe bananas into banana cakes; converting sponge cake into honey walnut tarts; turning vegetable peels to vegetarian gravy or soup.
One of the clients I worked with in 2024 is setting an excellent example in food waste awareness by effectively engaging customers through clear and informative communication. They have diners track their plate waste with a Leanpath device, providing step-by-step instructions. Strategically placed signage and ceramic tiles on every table remind customers to make mindful dining choices, offering practical solutions like reusable containers for leftovers. This creative and educational approach not only encourages customers to reduce their food waste but also fosters a deeper connection to the broader impact of their actions, inspiring sustainable behavior change.
The inspiring examples shared by our Leanpath chefs and customer success managers highlight the power of collaboration and innovation in reducing food waste. From creative repurposing recipes like broccoli chips and cauliflower leaf kimchi to fostering cultural shifts through diner engagement and data-driven strategies, it’s clear that reducing food waste is both achievable and transformative. Every day, our dedicated team works hand-in-hand with clients to empower their success, share new ideas, and build a global community united by a shared mission to combat food waste. Ready to take the next step in reducing food waste in your operation? Reach out to find out how Leanpath can help you achieve your financial and sustainability goals—visit Leanpath.com to learn more.