In Q3 of 2021, Sodexo Middle East will officially launch its state-of-the-art food waste prevention program called WasteWatch. Powered by Leanpath, WWxLP is driven by AI algorithms that provide automated food waste data collections.
Sodexo’s ‘Better Tomorrow 2025’ initiative includes eliminating waste to landfills and a 50% reduction in food waste. To achieve these objectives, Sodexo has launched the environment-friendly AI-driven platform to collate data on food waste, identify wastage areas, and share operational and behavioral changes required to eliminate waste.
Moreover, the AI platform further enhances organizations’ food waste reduction objectives by using smart data to set waste reduction goals and shares in-depth real-time insights on the financial and environmental impact created by food wastage.
Rachid Noujeim, CEO of Sodexo Middle East, said: “Sustainability has always been at the core of Sodexo’s values. Being a company that offers ‘Quality of Life’ services, we believe that a healthy climate and environment are of the utmost importance to the quality of life and human prosperity over the long term. I am confident WWxLP will support us reduce food wastage substantially and contribute to a healthier environment in line with the UAE’s sustainable development goals 2030.”
According to the UAE Ministry of Climate Change, food wastage costs the UAE an estimated $3.5 billion per year. In response to this, WWxLP was designed to tackle food waste while positively impacting social, environmental, and operational efficiencies.
Initially launching a pilot phase of WWxLP during Q3 of 2019, Sodexo Middle East recorded 11,072.82 kilograms of total food wastage across 5 sites over six months. Also, considering the contribution of food wastage to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Sodexo is the first food services company to align its objective with the United Nations Paris Agreement of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.