Case Study: Michigan Technological University achieves 50% food waste reduction and $1,000/week savings with LeanPath

Michigan Technological University - Customer Case Study

Michigan Technological University, a campus dining operation serving about 7,000 students in Houghton, Michigan, was dealing with significant food waste across its residence hall meal programs. Looking for a better way to understand and reduce those losses, the university partnered with LeanPath and began a pilot using LeanPath’s automated food waste tracking system.

LeanPath helped Michigan Technological University track pre-consumer waste with the LeanPath Tracker and review dashboard reports to drive daily improvements. After a six-week pilot, waste dropped by more than 50%, leading to a campus-wide rollout across three dining halls and a retail operation. The university now saves about $1,000 per week, has cut waste in half, and achieved a full return on investment in less than a year.

Michigan Technological University

Kathy Wardynski

Manager of Purchasing and Process Improvement