Quantifying the Climate Impact of Food Waste Prevention in Restaurants
At ClearCOGS, we understand that food waste isn’t just a cost issue—it’s a climate issue. Every piece of food that ends up in a landfill contributes to carbon and methane emissions, not to mention the lost resources that went into its production and transportation.
Restaurants in the U.S. throw away an estimated 2.2 million tons of food waste every year due to overproduction alone. That’s roughly 12% of the 12.7 million tons of food waste the industry produces annually. And with 80% of that waste ending up in landfills, the result isn’t just lost profit—it’s rising emissions.
But what happens when restaurants stop guessing on their food prep and start leveraging the benefits of technology to forecast their needs?
How Forecasting Prevents Waste—and Emissions
This past year, we partnered with Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps fellow McKenzie Huneke to quantify the emissions reductions ClearCOGS can deliver by helping restaurants minimize food waste at the source: overproduction. Our forecasting technology provides real-time, SKU-level predictions that help operators prep exactly what they need—and nothing more.
The results? Restaurants using ClearCOGS cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2.90 to 4.48 tons of CO₂-equivalent per location per month. Additionally, these restaurants see an average of a reduction in methane emissions of 0.25 tons, which has environmental warming effects 25 times stronger than CO₂.
For a single restaurant using ClearCOGS forecasts, that’s the emissions equivalent of:
- Taking a passenger car off the road for 2 and a half years
- Charging over 864,000 smartphones
- Or saving 1,200 gallons of gasoline
Not only do restaurants using ClearCOGS see these huge emissions reductions, but on average they also see over 66,000 gallons of water use prevention.
And, again, that’s just one location.
Overproduction: A Hidden Climate and Water Culprit
Restaurants make up 17.2% of all food waste in the U.S. According to recent studies, 12% of that comes from overproduction due to inefficiencies in planning and prep. While that might sound like a small percentage, it adds up to over 1.5 million tons of wasted food annually—most of which ends up rotting in landfills.
Food waste is responsible for nearly 58% of all methane emissions from landfills, making it one of the largest single contributors to methane pollution in the U.S. today. So reducing food waste isn’t just about saving money or CO₂—it’s about slowing down one of the most aggressive drivers of climate change.
And it doesn’t stop at emissions. Every pound of food that’s wasted also wastes the resources it took to grow, produce, and transport it—including water.
To put it in perspective:
- Tossing one pound of beef wastes 1,800 gallons of water
- Wasting a single head of lettuce can waste over 15 gallons of water
When you reduce food waste, you’re not just keeping food out of landfills—you’re conserving fresh water, protecting ecosystems, and reducing the strain on our agricultural systems.
ClearCOGS: Sustainability That Pays Off
The great thing about reducing food waste is that it doesn’t just help the planet—it helps your bottom line. Less waste means lower food costs, tighter margins, and happier customers. With ClearCOGS, sustainability is no longer a tradeoff. It’s a smart business decision.
We’re proud of these results—but we’re even more excited about what’s next. Because when restaurants have the tools to operate smarter, everyone wins: the planet, the diner, and the bottom line.
