Disposing of Japan’s more than six million tonnes in food waste costs the world's No.3 economy some 2 trillion yen a year, government data shows. With the highest food waste per capita in Asia, the Japanese government has enacted a new law to halve such costs from 2000 levels by 2030, pushing companies to find solutions.
Until now, that’s been a time-consuming human endeavour. With the new AI, Suntory hopes to gauge when a damaged box is just that, or when the contents themselves have been damaged and need to be returned. The online business is now thriving due partly to a jump in demand for low-priced unsold foods as consumers became more cost conscious amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Japanese shoppers tend to be picky but we attract customers by offering not just a sale but a chance to donate a portion of purchases to a charity, raising awareness about social issues,” Sekito said.Others have also joined forces with food firms in developing new technological platform to cut food waste as part of global efforts to meet sustainable development goals .