April 24th is designated as National Stop Food Waste Day. The Cuyahoga Group pledged to reduce food waste by twenty-five percent in 2019, and not even halfway through the way the year, we have already exceeded that goal.
While food is wasted, food is needed
Food waste persists on a global scale, and in the United States alone, more than forty percent of prepared food is thrown away. The irony and tragedy is that despite an abundance of available food, the hunger crisis persists, here and around the world.
Be part of the solution
To be part of the solution, The Cuyahoga Group has implemented changes to business operations to reduce food waste across our vending, market and catering lines. We understand that all efforts, big and small, make a difference in the health of our communities, and our planet.
At The Cuyahoga Group, we’ve made several changes across all divisions to reduce food waste, including:
- Upgrading technology and analytics to implement new menus that customize food and beverage items for customers, with a detailed focus on best-selling food items: These
Combined efforts of software implementation and corporate-wide standards for monitoring food waste and reducing fresh food options from low-selling sites has provided a nearly 30% reduction of food waste in the past year.
- Purchasing: Through one of our suppliers, we purchase produce through a program called ‘Imperfect Produce,’ which provided quality produce that may have a slight indentation and cannot be sold for retail. This program reduces waste from local farmers.
- Locally-Sourced Produce: Whenever possible, we purchase locally-grown produce from local farmers, which helps support a sustainable, ‘green’ community.
- In addition, we are currently in the process of decreasing food waste by partnering with local organizations to provide pick-up and delivery of plant-based food scraps to recycle at compost stations for use by community and urban gardens.
The Cuyahoga Group strives to provide fresh, quality food and beverage options to our clientele within a framework of excellent customer service, while incorporating internal programs focused on the three tenants of environmental sustainability: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Together, we truly can make a difference! To learn more about The Cuyahoga Group, click here. To contact us, click here.
