Pittsburgh startup scans leftovers to cut food waste
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Pittsburgh startup Clean Plate Innovations is using AI to turn table scraps into data that helps food-service operators cut waste and save money.
Why it matters: Food waste is as much a business problem as it is a sustainability one, costing the hospitality industry billions each year in lost profits.
- About two-thirds of that waste comes from what diners don't finish, per a recent Georgetown University report.
The big picture: Founder and CEO Nolan Sulpizio launched Clean Plate as a Duquesne University student in 2024.
- After taking top honors in the Duquesne New Venture Challenge early last year, the concept evolved into a venture-backed startup with support from Innovation Works' accelerator program.
How it works: Cameras mounted above trash cans or tray returns scan leftover food before it's tossed.
- AI identifies each item, estimates how much remains by weight and logs when it was thrown away, creating a dashboard that helps fine-tune menus, portions and purchasing.
- "If you have 80% of your cheeseburgers coming back, it's probably a quality thing versus having 37% coming back, which might be a portion thing or something else," Sulpizio says.
- "So it's even about how much is left on the plate that gives us insight over time, whereas it was something you maybe had to do manually before."
Case in point: At Seneca Valley Intermediate High School, the tech analyzed more than 2,700 images over three weeks and found students were throwing away an unexpected item: French fries.
- After talking to students, the district learned the fries were cold by the time they reached the table. The school switched to cubed tater tots that held their heat better.
- "They can then track that intervention to see how well it worked," Sulpizio says.
What they're saying: The company's mission is rooted in a question Daniel Oldak, chief strategic officer, says extends well beyond Clean Plate: "Are we treating food with the dignity it deserves?"
- "Food should not be seen as a commodity that's dispensable," he says, especially as food service operators navigate rising costs, shifting consumer habits and growing environmental pressures.
What's next: Clean Plate is pursuing partnerships with schools, hospitals, hotels and other large-scale dining operators while remaining open to more strategic investors, Oldak says.