In the face of mounting food and retail waste, major retailers confront the responsibility to find solutions. Walmart, leading the charge, believes artificial intelligence holds promise. By empowering employees with internally developed AI technology, Walmart empowers them to assess produce ripeness and make proactive decisions based on generative AI insights. This eliminates guesswork and ensures data-driven actions to minimize waste. The AI tool offers recommendations on pricing adjustments, vendor returns, or donations, based on product analysis. Similarly, the AI guides decisions regarding seasonal clothing items, suggesting markdowns to optimize sales and prevent unsold items from ending up in landfills. Clothing waste poses a significant challenge due to blended fabrics often rendering them unrecyclable. The AI program, piloted in Canada with plans for global expansion, aims to address these issues effectively. Statistics paint a grim picture: the U.S. discards approximately 60 million tons of food annually, while U.S. residents discard around 11.3 million tons of clothing waste each year. Walmart’s commitment to eliminating operational waste in North America by 2025 reflects the urgency of this challenge. Walmart’s AI-driven waste management system not only minimizes environmental impact but also reduces operating costs. To further address the issue, Walmart collaborates with organizations like Goodwill and has implemented programs like “Take Back,” encouraging customers to return used clothing for recycling. Other companies and startups recognize the potential of AI in this domain. Winnow and Shelf Engine offer solutions to optimize food consumption and track perishable food inventory, respectively. Industry experts emphasize the need for collective action throughout the food system, with AI offering a growing arsenal of solutions. Homer Swei of EWG highlights consumer expectations for companies to prioritize ecological footprints and waste reduction practices. Retailers like Amazon and Target are also adopting sustainable practices, aiming for zero waste goals and reducing packaging waste. Walmart’s AI-driven approach has yielded positive results, enabling savings that can be passed on to customers and reinvested in expansion. This virtuous cycle enhances customer trust and repeat business, supporting the company’s long-term growth. As Walmart’s AI-powered solution gains traction, it has the potential to transform the retail industry’s approach to waste management and contribute to building a more sustainable future.
Walmart’s AI-Powered Solution Tackles Food and Retail Waste
