Can Service Designers Impact the Food Waste Problem?

Food waste is a huge problem in the US. Roughly one-third of the food produced and shipped here for human consumption is never eaten. Fruit and vegetables make up a vast percentage of this equation, but prepared and processed food is also very high. This is a startling figure in a country where food security is an issue for around one in six Americans and where teachers regularly use their own money to buy food for their students. But aside from hunger, food waste also contributes to pollution and climate change. It takes a lot of water and energy to grow and transport food. And these resources are wasted as soon as food goes uneaten.

“Any free food. . . is photographed, and a message automatically informs the office that it’s there.”

We all know food waste is an issue, but the good news is, many individuals are working on big and small ideas to reduce the excess. Will Glesnes and Jon Ferguson at MIT’s Media Lab gained fame recently when knowledge of their Food Cam went public. The design is unbelievably simple. Any free food is placed under the camera, a button is pressed and the food is photographed, and a message automatically informs the office that it’s there. The media lab now has close to zero food waste.

On a larger, more impressive scale, Copia, a not-for-profit organization, actively connects businesses with surplus food to the shelters and facilities that need to feed people. The business messages the system which then dispatches a truck to pick up the food. Leftovers from catering events and sandwich shops are transported quickly to their recipients, reducing waste and feeding people. These two ideas work in different ways and have different beneficiaries. Both reduce waste and pollution but one combats hunger too. However, both are educational and introducing awareness is part of the task.

Because fighting food waste in America can feel like a losing game. Many big brands and companies (who shall remain nameless) accept food waste as part of their business model. Word of mouth evidence is full of stories of fast food outlets spraying their food with paint to make sure their leftovers aren’t consumed for free. And many grocery stores insist that close to out-of-date food (which employees would happily take home) be shipped back to the warehouse to ensure correct stocktaking.

“. . .addressing food waste may not be part of the brief, but finding new revenue streams or cutting cost certainly will be.”

However, these depressing examples are simply opportunities in disguise. When working with a client, service designers should bear in mind addressing food waste may not be part of the brief, but finding new revenue streams or cutting cost certainly will be. Food is a commodity with a sell-by date, a ticking clock of saleability. The internet is awash with specials and countdown deals aimed at moving products quicker and creating a fear of missing out. Can’t we do the same with food?

As the team behind the Food Cam at MIT’s media lab have witnessed, making the on-offer food as available as possible drives the fear that someone will snap it up before you. A box of donuts can easily be emptied within 30 seconds of posting and employees know they need to be fast.

So while there may not be too many existing incentives for businesses to fight food waste, they might still be able to benefit from doing so. Let’s ask ourselves how we can help our clients reduce food waste tonnage by innovating the customer journey.