ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — Artificial Intelligence is being tested at one Lancaster County college to help cut down on food waste.
Last month, officials at Elizabethtown College introduced its new KITRO system at the Marketplace Dining Hall. The Swiss technology uses AI to track and document food waste.
According to the National Resource Defense Council, more than 22 million pounds of food are wasted annually on college campuses across the United States. Austin Benner, the general manager of dining services at Elizabethtown College, said they are the first college in the US to use the technology for this purpose.
“KITRO makes collecting this data super easy," said Benner. "Before, if we wanted this data, we would’ve needed to weigh everything out and separate everything ourselves.”
The system collects food waste data in two different ways: first, a scale weighs everything thrown into the trash. Second, a camera takes a picture of all the food being thrown away. That data is then assessed by dining services to make any adjustments to the menu.
“I think KITRO has a wow factor to it because it is so new and innovative," said Savannah Greiner, a registered dietitian with Elizabethtown College.
Students are beginning to make some adjustments to the AI system by not taking trays and returning more empty plates.
Greiner hopes to see more widespread adoption by students across campus.
“I think bringing that first set of data to the students is going to really drive full usage of KITRO," said Greiner.
E-Town officials hope that AI is able to cut down on waste one plate at a time.
“It just reaffirms Elizabethtown’s commitment to sustainability and make the world a greener place," said Benner.