https://www.greenbusinessbenchmark.com/category/sustainability-program
Sustainable restaurant design
ClearCOGs is revolutionizing the food industry with their innovative forecasting and machine learning processes to provide an exact amount of food ingredients to restaurants, supporting a sustainable restaurant design while also saving businesses money.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 30-40% of food produced in the US ends up in landfills, making it the largest component filling landfill sites – 24% compared to plastic (18%), paper (12%), and glass (5%).
ClearCOGS tackles this waste issue head-on. By calculating how much of each ingredient a restaurant needs to prep every day, the amount of wasted food is significantly reduced.
Using innovation to solve a global food waste problem
The founders of ClearCOGS didn’t come from an environmental background, rather they built the company using an operator’s perspective. Their aim is to solve a problem that’s seemingly been ignored by the restaurant industry for far too long.
ClearCOGS had the pivotal task of matching operational supply to customer demand, which until now, solutions were lacking with poor innovative designs. ClearCOG’s mission is to bridge this gap. To provide clarity over future ingredient demand for restaurants, to reduce food waste, and to support a sustainable restaurant design.
To achieve its aim, ClearCOGS uses historic restaurant data and custom machine-learning models to predict how much of each ingredient or menu item needs to be prepared each day.
By using these accurate food-prep forecasts, operators can prepare only what they need, reducing the amount of food they waste at the end of each day.
ClearCOGS help their clients save money
Waste is a significant business cost. And in the restaurant industry, food waste is a major concern. Pre-paid ingredients are thrown away due to poor forecasting.
Yet, on the flip-side to having too much, not having enough ingredients is just as damaging to an organization’s bottom line. When customers are unable to have the dishes they want due to a lack of stock, customer satisfaction, loyalty and sales are all negatively impacted.
Current estimates state that the average US restaurant bins 22-33 billion pounds of food each year. This accounts for a total of ~$2 billion in lost profits. Adding to this, studies have found that for every $1 invested to reduce food waste, organizations save $7.
By striving to forecast the exact amount of a certain ingredient needed, ClearCOGS helps restaurants reduce waste, save money and avoid runouts.
Supporting sustainability in the restaurant industry
ClearCOGS advanced forecasting has been designed to address our food waste problem. When thrown into a landfill, decomposing and rotting food produces a large amount of methane. Plus the process of moving, storing, and cooking food demands energy, and water. E.g. A single loaf of bread uses 240 gallons of water and emits ½ Kg of C02e.
And when it comes to wasted meat produce, the figures are even more shocking. 1 kg of beef steak demands 3782 gallons of water and emits 70Kg of CO2e.
In addition, food production demands a considerable amount of land. For instance, it’s estimated that in the United States alone, about 80 acres of land is used to produce the continent’s wasted food.
In summary, wasted food is not good for the environment. And ClearCOGS is addressing this issue head-on by offering an effective and actionable solution.
ClearCOGS sustainability goal is twofold:
- To have a meaningful impact on the environment by reducing food waste.
- To support smaller businesses by reducing waste and therefore the costs associated, bolstering an organization’s bottom line.
Supporting a sustainable restaurant design in a skeptical market
ClearCOGS have been working closely with restaurant owners and find most have tried numerous predictive forecasting solutions in the past that delivered false promises.
As such, many restaurant owners were skeptical about ClearCOGS solution. They needed a little more insight into how ClearCOGS uses their sales data and advanced technology to address the food waste problem.
ClearCOGS has managed to effectively communicate their value to this skeptical market, and now their clients see the ClearCOGS food preparation tool as a game-changer, for greater sustainability and better financial performance.
Taking a collaborative approach to sustainability
ClearCOGS has gone from strength to strength by offering a user-friendly, easy, and customizable solution to food waste management, while also checking the sustainability box.
The business has revolutionized the restaurant industry by tackling a very current and substantial environmental and business problem.
To help ClearCOGS continue along their green trajectory, while also gaining the recognition they deserve, they signed up for the Green Business Bureau. The Green Business Bureau helps ClearCOGS connect with and learn from other companies that are also focused on sustainability.
For the sustainable growth of their own company, ClearCOGS are always looking to hear how other people are addressing the issue of food waste, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and the opportunities for partnership and support.
A sustainable restaurant needs to address the issue of food waste
“As a former Jimmy John’s franchise owner, I’m all too aware of the amount of waste in the restaurant industry as well as the lack of practical tools to manage it. With the creation of ClearCOGS, I’m thrilled to be a part of a win-win solution for the industry and the environment.” – Matt Wampler, Founder and CEO of ClearCOGS
