Every piece of food that Wendy’s orders in has to be paid for. Unsurprisingly, this means that Wendy’s is loath to waste food, especially high cost items such as meat. What makes this challenging is Wendy’s commitment to only serving fresh, never frozen beef.

The main way Wendy’s minimizes beef wastage is using unserved patties to make the brand’s chili. This ensures that even leftover food is monetized, giving the company the breathing room needed to price its food competitively. Another way Wendy’s reduces food waste is reusing excess Frosty mixture the next day. Again, this cuts down on unnecessary waste, reduces the company’s losses, and protects its profit margin.

Of course, reducing food waste is not only an economic choice, but an environmental one too. Wendy’s has committed to reducing food loss and waste by 50% by 2030. Not all of these practices have been adopted with maintaining the company’s low prices in mind. Some, including donating excess food and repurposing cooking oil, are being performed to boost the company’s sustainability credentials.