As Earth Day 2025 arrives, the restaurant industry is showcasing a growing commitment to environmental responsibility. From smart energy systems to AI-driven food waste reduction, restaurants are increasingly leveraging technology to reduce their environmental impact. While these initiatives mark meaningful progress, challenges remain—and experts agree that more still needs to be done to achieve the sector’s full sustainability potential. Food waste continues to be one of the most persistent environmental challenges in the restaurant sector. In the United States alone, restaurants are responsible for an estimated 22 to 33 billion pounds of food waste each year. This not only represents a loss of valuable resources and operational dollars, but also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions when food decomposes in landfills. In response, many restaurants are deploying innovative technologies to monitor and mitigate waste. Chipotle Mexican Grill, for example, introduced a smart waste management system that sorts, tracks, and converts [...]