Walmart’s AI-powered Waste Reduction Strategy

Walmart is tackling the issue of food and retail waste by implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in its stores. The AI technology will advise employees on how to manage products such as produce and clothing based on factors like ripeness, seasonality, and demand. By using generative AI, Walmart aims to reduce waste through data-driven proactive decisions that help employees take quick action at the right time for a specific product’s optimal outcome – whether it be price change or donation. The scanner can also identify unsold items or returns happening after seasonal changes and suggest earlier sales of clothing products, reducing their destruction due to blended fabric non-recyclability in many cases. This pilot program will first launch in Canada before expanding globally as part of Walmart’s goal to eliminate operational waste by 2025 in the US, Mexico & Canada; its total global operational waste is produced mainly from these three countries. Other startups like Winnow and Shelf Engine are also using AI for food waste management solutions that help businesses optimize consumption and purchasing while tracking items before they go bad or run out of popular ones. Retailers such as Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc., have been taking various approaches to build sustainable practices into core business areas by reducing packaging, aiming at zero-waste production & landfill diversion programs for branded clothing lines and stores’ expansion plans while passing on savings from AI informed decision making to customers. Consumers are now expecting more ecological footprints, production/packaging, ingredients/materials, waste disposal practices from retailers as they have tremendous power in minimizing their environmental impact themselves & supply chains for brands.