BERKELEY, CALIF.—Claremont Club & Spa has launched a comprehensive food waste prevention program in partnership with Alameda County’s StopWaste agency and technology provider Leanpath.
Leveraging a subsidy from StopWaste’s Smart Kitchen Initiative, the Claremont, a 103-year-old resort in the Oakland hills, will install Leanpath food waste tracking and analytics technology to understand what is being wasted and why, and to develop strategies to prevent it.
“The Claremont understands that food waste is a major contributor to our carbon footprint,” said Sean Minton, Sustainability Initiatives Manager. “Leanpath will help us understand our operations in a data-driven and systematic way, using our new insights to reduce the amount of food that goes into the garbage. This is one more element in the Claremont’s evolution towards a more sustainable future. Other initiatives include a recent Green Business Certification from Alameda County and induction into Planet 21, ownership group Accor Hotel’s sustainability framework.”
“Conservation is a high priority for the Claremont Club & Spa and by tracking wasted food we are able to see patterns and make adjustments in our purchasing and preparation to limit excessive waste,” said David Silva, Director of Food and Beverage. “The Claremont has close ties to the surrounding neighborhood and it is important that we lead by example in the community.”
Hardware & Software Package
The Leanpath food waste prevention platform is a hardware and software package that allows kitchens to track, analyze and understand their food waste stream. These insights, along with Leanpath’s expert training and coaching, allow foodservice staff to make important and informed operational changes that prevent food waste from happening to begin with.
In addition to tracking food waste produced in the kitchen, the Claremont will also be tracking plate waste from customers.
“We are thrilled to have the Claremont on board with preventing wasted food,” said Annalisa Belliss, Smart Kitchen Initiative Coordinator. “They will be taking measurement to the next level by collecting data on customer plate waste. We look forward to learning and sharing best practices from Claremont’s success.”
“As the Environmental Protection Agency has stated, prevention has the greatest positive impact on the environment of any effort to address food waste,” said Leanpath CEO Andrew Shakman. “We are proud to partner with the Smart Kitchen Initiative and The Claremont to ensure a more sustainable future for Alameda County and the world through food waste prevention.”
