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Insights on food waste reduction, sustainability reporting, and product updates from the CPIsight team.

K-129 min read

USDA School Meal Standards 2027: Will Students Eat It?

What the USDA rule requires for sodium and added sugars by July 1, 2027, what may change, and how to test reformulated menus for plate waste first.

November 3, 2026Read more
K-127 min read

School Food Waste Statistics: What the Data Shows

How much food US schools waste, which lunch components go uneaten most, and what each number actually measured: sample, year and limits.

November 3, 2026Read more
K-129 min read

How to Run a Plate-Waste Study in Your School Cafeteria

How to measure what students leave on their trays: sampling, measuring by meal component, weighing vs. visual vs. photo methods, data sheets and next steps.

November 3, 2026Read more
Industry5 min read

Food Waste in Institutional Dining: Key Statistics Every Operator Should Know

Sourced food waste numbers for institutional dining: national totals, foodservice landfill data, campus and hospital plate-waste studies, and their limits.

March 25, 2026Read more
Operations6 min read

How to Conduct a Food Waste Audit in Your Dining Operation

A practical, step-by-step guide to running a food waste audit in institutional kitchens — what to measure, how to categorize waste, and what to do with the results.

March 22, 2026Read more
Sustainability5 min read

The Environmental Impact of Institutional Food Waste

Food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, water waste, and land use. Here is what the data shows for institutional dining specifically.

March 20, 2026Read more
K-127 min read

Does Offer vs. Serve Reduce Plate Waste? The Evidence

USDA says Offer vs. Serve cuts plate waste. A large audit dataset found more waste at offer middle and high schools. The rules, the studies, what to measure.

March 18, 2026Read more
Food Waste5 min read

How to Calculate Food Waste ROI for Your School District

A practical framework for K-12 nutrition directors to calculate the financial impact of plate waste — from USDA reimbursement risks to disposal fees.

March 15, 2026Read more
Senior Living5 min read

Food Waste Challenges Unique to Senior Living Dining

Senior living dining programs face challenges no other institutional sector encounters — from texture-modified diets to fluctuating census. Understanding these factors is the first step to reducing waste.

March 14, 2026Read more
Operations8 min read

Food Waste Tracking Methods Compared: From Clipboards to Computer Vision

Manual logs, smart scales and camera systems compared for dining operations, plus the questions to ask any plate-waste tracking vendor before you buy.

March 12, 2026Read more
Industry5 min read

Trayless Dining: Does Removing Trays Actually Reduce Food Waste?

Going trayless is one of the most widely discussed food waste interventions in institutional dining. Here is what the research actually shows — and where the strategy falls short.

March 10, 2026Read more
Food Waste5 min read

Why Deep Analytics Matter More Than Tracking in Food Service

Basic tracking tells you how much food you wasted. Deep analytics tells you why it happened and what to change. Here’s why the difference matters for food service operations.

March 9, 2026Read more
Sustainability4 min read

STARS Reporting for Food Waste: What You Actually Need

AASHE STARS sustainability reporting for campus dining requires waste data most institutions struggle to collect. Continuous tracking changes that equation.

March 8, 2026Read more
Sustainability5 min read

Composting vs. Prevention: Where to Invest Your Food Waste Budget

Both composting and prevention reduce food waste impact, but they are not equal strategies. Here is how to think about where your limited sustainability budget delivers the most return.

March 6, 2026Read more
Food Waste4 min read

5 Data-Driven Menu Changes That Reduce Plate Waste

Practical menu engineering strategies that plate waste data can inform — from portion right-sizing to feedback-driven specials.

March 1, 2026Read more
Healthcare5 min read

The Case for Continuous Food Waste Monitoring in Hospitals

Hospital dining faces unique challenges — patient trays, dietary restrictions, 24/7 service. Continuous waste tracking reveals patterns no periodic audit can catch.

February 20, 2026Read more
K-124 min read

How K-12 Nutrition Directors Use Waste Data to Justify Budget Requests

School nutrition programs face constant budget pressure. Plate waste data gives directors the evidence they need to make compelling cases for investment.

February 15, 2026Read more
Food Waste5 min read

The Hidden Cost of Plate Waste in Institutional Dining

Plate waste costs institutions far more than most operators realize. Here's how to quantify the true financial and operational impact — and what to do about it.

February 10, 2026Read more
Sustainability5 min read

Corporate Campus Dining: Turning ESG Commitments into Measurable Results

Corporate dining programs are under pressure to show ESG progress. Continuous plate waste tracking provides the auditable data that turns commitments into measurable results.

February 5, 2026Read more
Sustainability4 min read

How Real-Time Food Waste Data Strengthens Sustainability Reporting

Sustainability reports are only as strong as the data behind them. Here's how continuous food waste measurement closes the gap between commitments and proof.

January 22, 2026Read more
Product Updates3 min read

CPIsight Spring 2026: Faster Insights, Smarter Dashboards

Our spring release brings faster data processing, redesigned dashboards, and new export options to help you act on waste data more quickly.

January 8, 2026Read more

Explore More from CPIsight

Go beyond the blog — see the product, the data, and real-world results.

How CPIsight Works

See the product behind the posts — edge AI, real-time dashboards, and automated tracking.

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Case Studies

Read real-world results from our pilot deployments in K-12 and institutional dining.

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The Food Waste Problem

Understand the scale of institutional food waste and why plate waste matters.

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