The Future of Food Rescue? Replate Announces an Exciting New Partnership…
With all the hype surrounding autonomous vehicles and A.I. technology, Replate conjured up a new opportunity: driverless, all-electric food rescue.
The possibilities were endless…so we jumped on it!
Today, Replate announces a national partnership with Cruise, a leading autonomous vehicle company based in San Francisco, as part of the Cruise for Good program. Cruise’s all-electric fleet will integrate with Replate’s existing national network of food recovery partnerships to recover surplus food from local businesses and name brand restaurants, and deliver those meals to local organizations.
The goal is to create a sustainable cycle of food rescue to fight hunger and waste, and seek collaborative, strategic solutions to large-scale problems.
"This partnership with Cruise marks a milestone in the evolution of Replate,” says Replate CEO & Founder Maen Mahfoud. “We'll not only be able to improve efficiency within our operations, we'll make a bigger dent in our carbon footprint by reducing emissions from food rescues through the use of electric vehicles.”
Currently, 30-40% of the food supply in the U.S. gets thrown out each year, harming the environment by taking up landfill space and releasing methane gas. Project Drawdown named reducing food waste the main priority in fighting climate change, which is why states like California are enacting laws, such as SB 1383, to enforce such practices.
Transportation has long been regarded as a top contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for the largest portion (29%) of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2021. Cruise sources renewable energy from farms in California’s Central Valley to power its fleet of all-electric self-driving vehicles. By utilizing this fleet to amplify our logistics, Replate can eliminate emissions from food rescues, increases operational efficiency, and supports more sustainable infrastructure.
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Replate first connected with Cruise through a pilot project in 2022. Cruise vehicles rescued surplus food from Obour Foods, and brought it to San Francisco State University, where everything was donated to the student food pantry. These initial tests were a success, inspiring a more long-term alliance.
“Cruise for Good is proud to team up with Replate to launch a first-of-its-kind, driverless, all-electric food rescue initiative –– creating a sustainable cycle of food recovery that can scale as Cruise devotes a portion of our growing fleet to meet community needs everywhere we operate,” says Amanda Lenaghan, Director of Social Impact for Cruise.
Now ready to launch officially, the fully driverless partnership begins in San Francisco, with a goal to quickly extend operations as Cruise enters new cities.
Mahfoud adds, “With this groundbreaking endeavor, Replate and Cruise aim to professionalize food recovery, mitigate the climate crisis, and engage more corporations in sustainable practices. Working with such an innovative, forward-thinking company, Replate will be able to scale our mission further across the U.S., and eventually the world.”
Find out more about Cruise for Good!
And join the Replate movement here!