The study is part of the company's commitment to stop wasting food to curb climate change and improve business practices. Partnering with LeanPath, a technology company that provides food-waste tracking systems, the pilot study focuses on pre-consumer waste. Employees use a tracking station to enter data about what they are throwing out and why. The study found that by tracking the reason for throwing away items, the kitchen’s employees are able to correct any problems and prevent future food waste. The study showed that the employees in the kitchens were able to reduce overproduction, spoilage, expiration and trimmings. Each participating site in the pilot also has a Stop Waste Action Team (SWAT) composed of employees, which reviews the waste data, sets goals for improvement and tests waste prevention ideas.
“Our people have been vigilant about preventing food waste at these sites, demonstrating they are extremely good stewards of the environment,” Tom Post, president of education at Sodexo, said in a press release. “The pilot results show it's possible to send less waste to landfills and to reduce costs without compromising the quality or variety of the food we serve.”