inKind is excited to share our latest endeavors in sustainability that showcase our commitment to combatting climate change. A shocking 38% of food that is produced in the US is sent to landfill annually, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. The restaurant industry is one of the largest contributors to this problem. As pioneers in the hospitality industry, inKind is determined to be part of the solution. Our passionate sustainability team has implemented two projects dedicated to reducing the amount of food waste our restaurant partners send to landfill.

Our first project centers around providing data to chefs about the food items that are wasted during meal prep. Our high-tech solution utilizes AI to categorize food items destined for the landfill as edible or inedible waste. This provides invaluable insights for chefs to understand how much edible food is being wasted and adjust their processes. Our low-tech approach employs a manual log to document wasted food. This method offers a cost-effective solution to inform our waste reduction efforts. The combination of high- and low-tech processes allows InKind to provide solutions that work for restaurants of all sizes.

Our second pilot project involves donating food waste to a black soldier fly (BSF) farms. These creatures transform food scraps into an organic byproduct that can be used as agricultural fertilizer at much faster rates than traditional composting. By donating our food scraps to BSF farms, InKind is able to reduce and potentially eliminate the waste our restaurants send to landfill. Black soldier fly larvae can also be used as a food source for livestock, creating a truly closed-loop system and paving the way for a more sustainable agricultural system in the US.

These two projects mark just the beginning of our sustainability journey. inKind is committed to rolling out additional initiatives and paving the way for a more sustainable future in the hospitality industry.