Restaurant Technologies will participate in Food Tank's "Solving Food Waste: A Key Solution to the Climate Crisis" event during Climate Week NYC on Monday, September 21, from 9 AM to 12 PM ET at WNYC-NPR Studios' The Greene Space in Manhattan. Diana Geseking, Chief Legal Officer and Impact Committee Chair at RTI, will speak on the "Food Waste Action in Commercial Kitchens and Food Service" panel alongside sustainability and food system leaders including Julie Gehrki (Walmart Foundation), María Bengochea (CookUnity), U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (Oregon's 6th Congressional District), and Danielle Nierenberg (Food Tank).

RTI's Waste Reduction Model RTI operates an automated cooking oil management system serving more than 45,000 commercial kitchens nationwide, including McDonald's, Shake Shack, Sheetz, Kroger, and hospitality chains. The closed-loop solution automates delivery, filtration, monitoring, and collection of used cooking oil (UCO) from foodservice operations. In 2025, RTI recycled nearly 400 million pounds of used cooking oil and converted nearly 100% of it into renewable diesel, biodiesel, or sustainable aviation fuel.

Industry Context The event, presented in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Food Planet Prize, NRDC, and the Walmart Foundation, will explore how reducing food waste cuts emissions, strengthens food security, and builds resilient food systems. The program will livestream through FoodTank.com. "Climate issues are addressed most effectively when industry, government, and society work together to find solutions," said Geseking. "Restaurant Technologies is proud to stand alongside UNEP, NRDC, and our fellow co-hosts in advancing practical, scalable solutions to food waste, and to demonstrate how meaningful climate progress can make a big difference in kitchens around the world."

Why It Matters

For foodservice operators and sustainability-focused companies, the panel underscores growing market momentum around waste reduction technologies. As regulatory pressure on emissions and waste management intensifies, commercial kitchen automation—particularly around by-product management—is positioning itself as both an operational efficiency gain and a climate strategy.

For more insights and trends in the food and beverage sector, check out more articles in The Food & Beverage Magazine family of publications.

Written by FBM Publications Editors