Digital strategies and technological developments for commercial kitchens with a zero waste kitchen approach

Abstract

The UN sets goals for a sustainable and equitable future. Reducing food waste increases access to food, saves financial resources, alleviates the climate crisis, and creates hopes for economic and social progress. New strategies are needed to manage waste at all stages of the food supply chain, save energy and water, to reduce the disproportionate amount of waste produced by industrial kitchens. Zero waste is the most holistic innovation of the 21st century and promotes responsible production and consumption, which are among the sustainable development goals. Digitalization has an incalculable potential to contribute to the sustainability of the planet or to reduce its negative impact on people. While digitalization and technology alone cannot solve the global food waste problem, bringing them together, supporting them with policies, regulations and infrastructures, promotes the prevention of waste. This study examines the potential of technological solutions to improve waste management and support a zero- waste approach by integrating digital technologies into the kitchen.