3 Apps That Will Help Eliminate Business Food Waste

With about 1.3 billion tons of food rotting in landfills, Americans have a food waste problem. A lot of that waste comes from a lack of education or resources on composting, how certain foods can be salvaged, or where and when food can be donated. But with the help of technology, your business, office, and employees can challenge the food waste stream. Here are 3 apps you can apply to your business and help eliminate food waste.

1. Spoiler Alert:

We did a feature on Spoiler Alert months ago, and it’s still an important app to support. Made by MBA students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Spoiler Alert keeps food from reaching a landfill by building a stronger network between food service institutions, food pantries, and organizations. A restaurant or supermarket can put produce and products up on the app that will alert recipients–whether it’s for resale, farms, or waste recovery organizations pantries–that the food is available. So, instead of food scraps going to a garbage, farms can pick it up for their own composting or to feed animals. Or, supermarkets who have food nearing expiration or sell-by dates can help a soup kitchen or food bank by alerting them when food is available for pick up. Overall, this streamlined approach can help stop waste over multiple industries, including your business.

2. LeanPath

This program from a Portland-based software firm is helping businesses (restaurants, cafeterias, institutional food service providers) reduce their waste by providing an easy tracking service to record waste. Using scales, users weigh waste and label the type of waste through the app. The app then collects and aggregates data over time, making recommendations that will help businesses order less or rotate their foods more. This app therefore not only improves a business’s budget but can reduce up to 80% of waste.

3. Food Cowboy

Like Spoiler Alert, Food Cowboy puts supply chain distributors, retailers, and food banks and pantries in conversation with each other. The app allows for truckers, businesses, and even one-off donors to post available produce and products for charities to pick and choose. For truckers, the app is a great way to find a nearby or on-route charity that can use the surplus or rejected food, instead of sending the produce to a dumpster.

These 3 apps are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to technology that’s supporting greener businesses. For more tech resources to help reduce food waste at your business–and help others as well–read some of our blog posts for resources and ideas.