Food waste is a significant challenge in creating sustainable canteens. It is not only an environmental problem but also an unnecessary cost that negatively affects the operating budget. For service providers, it is therefore important to ensure that canteen operations are both cost-effective and sustainable. While this requires effort, good routines and insight can help reduce the negative effects of food waste.
The hybrid work model, which is now the norm in many companies, brings large variations in the number of canteen visitors. This makes it difficult to predict how much food should be prepared each day, which often results in food waste. The solution lies in developing smarter, more proactive solutions that can predict the number of visitors and adjust the amount of food accordingly.
Promoting awareness among employees about the importance of reducing food waste is a good place to start. Training on how to best handle surplus food and measures that increase awareness around food waste can create a culture for sustainable practices. Menus can also be adapted to use up leftover ingredients, which further helps reduce waste.
To achieve higher efficiency, analysis tools that collect data on canteen visits, number of dishes sold, and other relevant factors can be employed. With algorithms and machine learning, this data can be used to develop prediction models that provide accurate forecasts for future visits and food needs. The more data collected, the more precise these models become, and they can detect patterns that are difficult to see with human analysis alone.
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Running a sustainable and cost-effective canteen requires good planning. Digital tools that collect and analyze canteen data can give you accurate forecasts, making it possible to implement targeted measures that reduce food waste and costs without compromising quality. At Izy, we work with prediction models that can give you sales figures for the coming four weeks.
Many of our customers use the Izy app to increase awareness about food waste among their tenants. If too much food is made one day, surplus food can be sold at discounted prices via the app.
Read more about Izy for service providers here
Canteen is just one of several features in the Izy app. It also offers solutions for meeting room booking, meeting food ordering, and visitor registration, making everyday life easier for property owners, service providers, tenants, and employees alike.
