Using RealSense to reduce plate waste by up to 30% while improving operational efficiency
The challenge
Institutional dining facilities waste management systems traditionally do utilize technology to focus on post-production waste, which is broken down between kitchen waste and plate waste, and it accounts for 1/3 rd and 2/3rds of post-production waste respectively. That means that two-thirds of the food waste is actually what is left on the plate—what diners throw out at all-you-can-eat buffets or in institutional dining facilities.
The solution
Clean Plate integrates the RealSense D435 and D415 to balance scale and precision across the dining environment. The D435, with its wider field of view, captures multiple trays simultaneously on buffet lines, enabling high-throughput data collection. The D415, with its narrower field of view and higher depth accuracy, is deployed at return points such as trash cans or conveyor belts to precisely measure plate-level waste.
The results
With RealSense-enabled visibility, Clean Plate Innovations has made plate waste visible and measurable. These insights translate directly into measurable impact, including a reduction in food waste, along with optimized menus, smarter procurement, improved kitchen operations and reduced costs.
Making Critical Data Accessible
Kitchen waste is relatively easy to measure. The food trays are standardized; SKUs are easily identifiable either automatically or manually and the waste volume is concentrated. The kitchen also has room for the array of waste and a platform to fit a scale to ensure measurements are perfectly accurate.
Plate waste, by contrast, is messy, unstandardized and occurs at massive scale.
Enabled by RealSense, Management Through Measurement
Using RealSense cameras, Clean Plate built a system that captures and analyzes plate waste in real time, even in high-volume, constrained environments. In current deployments, the system processes approximately 400–500 plates per service period without disrupting existing workflows.
From Waste to Operational Intelligence
Importantly, the system is designed with privacy in mind. “We’re measuring food volume, not surveilling diners,” said Oldak. “That’s privacy-by-design, and it matters, especially in K-12 and healthcare environments.”
Beyond sustainability, the platform enables compliance and reporting by generating accurate waste audits automatically and eliminating the need for manual tracking or estimation.
Looking Ahead
Clean Plate Innovations is focused on creating a future where food waste is minimized from the outset. The two-year-old company is targeting to scale across universities, corporate dining,
healthcare and hospitality, seeking to provide a seamless data foundation for foodservice operations.
The long-term vision goes beyond measurement to prediction: enabling kitchens to anticipate waste, optimize production and align supply with actual consumption.
“In the American food supply chain, about 40% of food grown never makes it into a human mouth,” he said. “Seeing mountains of perfectly good, uneaten food getting thrown out was truly unsettling.”
— Nolan Sulpizio,
CEO, Clean Plate Innovations