Oregon Zoo

Portland Metro government manages the Oregon Zoo. Working with local vendor LeanPath, the Zoo staff tracked pre-consumer food waste from two of their largest kitchens and found that spoilage, expired foods, and overproduction were major culprits in the generation of food waste. As a result of staff training, tracking, and monitoring, the Zoo was able to predict demand based on crowd counts, and weather and event variables, and to make better choices about food purchasing and preparation. The Zoo was challenged by seasonal changes in staff and the need to find a consistent “champion.” Still, the Zoo was able to reduce pre-consumer food waste by about 40%, reducing costs by about $500 per month.