Design Research Disposable culture Devanshi Sihare
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DESIGN RESEARCH
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Introduction ..............................................5 Post-Consumption .................................40 Research Question ...............................10
NYC Waste Management System Expert Interview & Educational Tour Expert Interview
Research Methodologies ...................12 Insights.......................................................48 Methods Tools
Learnings Pre-Consumption ...................................21 Food Establishments Types of Food establishments Material Analysis Trends in Material Innovation Expert Interview
Opportunities .........................................60 Concept .....................................................64 Issue & Insights Idea Execution Impact
Regulation & Policy Gaps
Consumption ............................................32 Quantitative survey Consumer Interviews Key Themes
Overview
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New York city is the city of gleaming skyscrapers in the skyline, or the city of large green spaces in the heart of the urban fabric. But these are simply images to attract people into the city of dreams. New York City is also the one where people are always in a rush, looking sharply ahead, having little time to stop and think about what they leave behind. Everyone, coming from differently paced hometowns, have to catch up to the speed; if they don’t, they are forced to. And this attitude is reflected in everything, to a point that it becomes more of a survival instinct. One has to get into the already crowded subway, or keep waiting for the next one. The people feel compelled to always be on the move. And this is reflected in the habits that they have formed, habits of what they eat, how they eat, where they eat, and how they trash. They might have strong opinions about the President stepping down from the sustainability movements, but seldom take a step themselves to reduce the amount of waste that they generate owing to the use of disposable dishware waste on a daily basis. I come from the city of Mumbai (India) a metropolitan area with a population twice that of New York City. Mumbai looks up to New York City as an idol, buildings are getting taller, and people are always on the move. The people have an equal penchant for food that they could bite on while they commute. Yet, the overall waste produced is proportionately lower. The inherent way that people consume food has a direct effect on how much they trash. In Mumbai, the idea of a fast food restaurants is translated to fast service and fast consumption of food, but is a dine-in with a rapid turnover of customers. Kitchen staff has a dedicated personnel to ensure a quick wash process of washing the dishes, such that they are ready before the next
DESIGN RESEARCH
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patron is on the table. It sure does reduce the pressure on the environment. This continues to be the way of life there, with some recent disruptions due to better deals on delivery. With a cultural mindset about using disposables only as a last option, I was shocked to see the landscape in New York City. I now live in a culture fashioned around just the opposite. Using disposable dishware is the norm. For an average New Yorker, lunch is meant to eaten out of a plastic container, that is trashed right after. Who wants to spend time in cleaning the pots and pans anyway? A strong resistance to attachment, has translated toward patterns of temporal use. The ‘throwaway culture’ is spreading. The perpetual lack of time, coupled with the attitude centered at the self (saving your own time and effort), only adds more fuel to the fire. To save on their precious time, people snack or sip on their beverage as they walk, filling the trash-cans on the sidewalks with disposable cups, styrofoam packs, plastic containers. Some of this trash is accumulated to be recycled, other is disposed off on the landfill, yet certain other trash finds its way into the sewer network and reaches our precious oceans, that now hold trash to cover the entire footprint of the state of Texas. While San Francisco has tried hard to achieve ZeroWaste, New Yorkers fail to acknowledge the need for better alternatives. And yet, there are outliers living within the city, who carry their reusable cutlery, coffee mugs, or for that matter use only compostable dishware. They are my ray of hope. In my capstone, I hope to find a solution to introduce a behavioral shift in New Yorkers and beyond, and imbibe in them the consciousness about ‘what they consume’, ‘why they consume’, and ‘how they consume.
INTRODUCTION
DESIGN RESEARCH
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According to the Clean Air Council, enough paper and plastic utensils are thrown away every year to circle the equator 300 times. It is estimated that close to 40 billion individual plastic utensils—meaning 14 and 18 billion plastic spoons—are produced each year, and with such low rates of reuse and recycling, most of them end up in our landfills, beaches and oceans. They are likely to remain there for hundreds of thousands of years. This astounding figure gives businesses an easy opportunity to show their customers they authentically care about the environment by doing away with these unnecessary pollutants and replacing them with environmentally friendly utensils.
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DESIGN RESEARCH
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50% of the $1.2 trillion that Americans spent for food went to food taken out from restaurants or delivered to their homes in 2009.
Global food container market size was valued at
$231.9b in 2015 and growing annually. Rising demand for convenience food products all over the world, including emerging economies is the leading reason behind this growth.
While the United States does not currently have a formal system for measuring how much waste is generated from restaurant takeout, a study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that the US generated about 229.2 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2001 and
32% of that was attributed to different food packaging materials.
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The Food Service Container and Packaging (or disposable food packaging) industry includes single-use, disposable plates, bowls, cups, clam shell boxes, cutlery etc., which are found predominantly in quick service restaurants, delis, bodegas, grocery stores, kiosks, cafes and catering establishments. These products are generally made from plastics, bioplastics, bioresins and paper in the US.
Although most of these materials are recyclable, only 17% of them gets recycled in New York City and the rest goes to landfill, oceans and then finally into our food system years later. Collection costs, the value of scrap material, and increased energy expenditures create an additional economic barrier to recycling food service packaging.
These facts cannot be ignored and need immediate attention from all the stakeholders including consumers, retailers, manufacturers, government, and product certification departments. A lot of research, innovation, policy changes, lawsuits and debates are happening all over the world regarding these issues.
60m 100m people are served by Mcdonald’s each day, which means close to that many straws are thrown out daily. Similar staggering numbers of straws are consumed at many other fast food chains every day.
pieces of plastic utensils are used by Americans every day. These plastic utensils can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, leaking harmful substances into the Earth while they breakdown.
Americans drink more coffee than any other nation, consuming more than
There are approximately 61,269 pizza outlets in the US and on average each will consume about 55 boxes per day, or about
400m 3.36m cups each day, most of which are carried out in disposable cups!
pizza boxes every day! Most of these pizza boxes will not end up in the recycling centers due to oil contamination from the pizza inside.
Disposable Dishware
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DESIGN RESEARCH
How might we reduce disposable dishware waste in NYC?
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Research Objective Understand when, how and why the stakeholders in the industry use disposables. Develop consumer insights by empathizing with the users and analysing their lifestyle, behaviour and painpoints while using and disposing dishware. Understand the systems associated with introducing and discrading the disposables. Find gaps and opportunities to intervene through design for meaningful impact.
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DESIGN RESEARCH
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Research Methodologies
DESIGN RESEARCH
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SECONDARY RESEARCH
EMPATHIZE
DEFINE
IDEATE
PROTOTYPE
DELIVER
INSIGHTS PRIMARY QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
PRIMARY QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
SECONDARY RESEARCH
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Understand the practices, reasons and motivations that thrive Throwaway Culture.
Understand the consumer behaviour with reasons, motivations, restrictions and pain-points while eating out & eating in, using single-use disposable take-out options/ products in general, using reusable mugs/ bags / tableware recycling trash.
Find patterns regarding people’s eating, using and disposing habits, and their daily schedules.
Identify current and future trends and innovations in the restaurant industry and material innovation. Analyse regulations, laws and policies associated with disposable dishware industry. Study the Waste Management System of New York City. Review literature on consumer behabior and habits.
Understanding similar parameters behind packaging material choices of different kinds of food establishments. Identify and analyse service behaviors that lead to more waste.
Identify the level of awareness regarding sustainable materials, responsible habits and recyclability.
USER INTERVIEWS
SITE VISITS
SHADOWING
SURVEYS
LITERATURE REVIEW
EXPERT INTERVIEWS
OBSERVATION
CARD SORTING
Identify if people are willing to change their consumption behavior.
METHODS
TOOLS
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DESIGN RESEARCH
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Learnings
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Research learnings are divided into three sections because of the three distinct key stakeholders, their behaviors and associated sytems.
DESIGN RESEARCH
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FOOD ESTABLISHMENT
WASTE MANAGEMENT
CONSUMER
To get a first hand in-depth information to understand the reasons, motivations, restrictions and pain-points behind packaging material choices of different kinds of food establishments.
To understand the consumer behaviour with reasons, motivations, restrictions and painpoints while eating out & eating in, using disposable, dishware & recycling trash
To get a first hand-indepth information about NYC waste management system, their goals, challenges and current & future implementation strategies
PRE-CONSUMPTION
CONSUMPTION
POST-CONSUMPTION
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PRE-CONSUMPTION
DESIGN RESEARCH
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TRENDS Fast casual has been the growth darling of the industry for almost 20 years. While it still accounts for less than 10% of the total market, the number and diversity of fast casual restaurants has been exploding across the city, with an astounding growth of over 500% since 1999! Evolving consumer tastes and creative restaurant concepts are the driving forces behind this growth. Increasingly
MANUFACTURERS
DISTRIBUTORS
WHOLESALERS
DISPOSABLE DISHWARE SUPPLY CHAIN
FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
consumers are looking for healthy alternatives and are more dynamic in their tastes they’re looking for more than the typical burger and fries. But what has not changed is the need for speed and convenience when it comes to grabbing a bite, particularly during the business day. That is the gap that fast casual has stepped into and dominated: higher quality, imaginative cuisine served to a population on the move.
The sector is still evolving and expanding at a rapid rate - and there is tremendous opportunity for the interested entrepreneur. Most of these eateries serve on-th-go consumers, using disposables. Most of them use single-use dishware for eat-in services as well.
New York City’s five boroughs have more than 50,000 eating and drinking places, including dining-in restaurants, fast food restauarants, bars, ice-cream shops, take-out places, cafes, delis, bodegas, supermarkets with delis, street carts and food trucks. New Yorkers spend around $43.3 billion eating from these establishments. Half of them are spent on food consumed in disposable dishware. I began my research visiting various kinds of food establishments, observing and shadowing the service offered, saleperson’s behaviors, interior design, messaging, disposable use and material choices, waste disposal systems. There were a few visible patterns that related the kind of customers, location of the eatablishment, the kind of establishment and their outlook towards disposable dishware waste.
FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
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COFFEE SHOPS/ CAFES Coffee shops, local or branded, most sell coffees in disposable cups for eat-in customers as well. 90% of cafes use coated paper cups that are not recycleable. The service people never ask the customers if they want to use the reusable if they are staying. Segregated recycling bins are a rare sight.
FAST CASUAL DELI These are the delis that became a bit sophisticated in response to the heathy customers in competition with the fast casual chains. They serve to-go salads, smoothies, health bowls, burgers etc. Most of them use rigid plastic. They don’t usually have seating, even if they do, they use only singleuse tableware.
STREET CARTS Street carts are meant for grab and eat. Most of the halal carts and chinese carts in the city use styrofoam boxes, as they are most affordable. Thinking about sustainability isn’t something they think about as they are mostly immigrant owned and are struggling for their own survival.
DESIGN RESEARCH
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SUPERMARKET DELI These are the food section of supermarkets like Whole Foods, Westside Market or Garden of Eden.They usually carry baked goods, pre-packed meals, sushi, salads, buffet in clear hard plastic. Even if the brand supports for organic produce and healthy lifesytle, this conscious behavior isn’t reflected in their material choice. FAST CASUAL CHAINS Fast casual chains like Chipotle, Sweetgreen, Dig inn are brands that are mission focused, cater to consumers that are conscious and look for responsible and healthy eating choices. They are the ones offering compostable dishware and promote their sustainable choices through messaging and service.
LOCAL DELI Very similar to the street carts, local delis are mostly owned by immigrants, struggling to meet ends. They use affordable styrofoam boxes, and some have hard plastic as well. They do not usually care about branding or messaging, waste reduction or sustainable strategies.
Types of FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
DESIGN RESEARCH
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MAterial
Properties
Applications
Establishment
RIGID PLASTIC
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Optical Clarity Sturdy Microwaveable Moisture Barrier
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Liquid Food Hot food Cutlery Snacks/ Salads Beverage Cups
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Fast casual Resaturant Local Deli Supermarkets Branded Delis
STYROFOAM
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Rigid Moisture Barrier Insulation
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Hot, Dry Food Coffee Cups
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Street Carts Local Delis
Moisture Barrier Flimsy Not air-tight
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Hot Food
• •
Street Carts Local Delis
Absorbs moisture Flimsy Not air-tight
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Any Dry Food
• • • •
Food Truck Fast Food Wholefoods Fast Casual
Moisture Barrier Sturdy Not air-tight
• •
Hot Food Beverage Cups
• • •
Cafes Local Delis Chinese Takeout
Absorbs moisture
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Salad Bowls Buffet Containers
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Branded Fast Casual Expensive Deli
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ALUMINIUM
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UNCOATED PAPER
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COATED PAPER
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COMPOSTABLE
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It is clear from the above table that the most popular materials in the industry are styrofoam, rigid plastic and coated paper, because of the cheaper cost and food carrying properties. Styrofoam and coated paper produce the most
• •
• •
amount of trash as they are not recycled in NYC. The compostable, most sustainable material is the least popular item, thanks to its higher cost.
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Recycleability
Price
Popularity
COMPOSTABLE
COMPOSTABLE
* Based on the information from the survey conducted as part of the research process across 60 different food establishments across Manhattan.
Material Analysis
DESIGN RESEARCH
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Why are temporary products made from permanent materials? Many small and big companies are trying to solve the disposable waste problem in the food industry through material and product innovation. A number of alternatives to plastic are introduced in the market every day. Most of them strive to easily compostable. Materials are mostly plant based. Leaf Republic, industrialized the traditional handmade technique of plates made from leaves. Bamboo tableware is becoming increasingly common, specially in the event industry. Some of new alternatives are edible, while some have seeds that can be planted. In the presence of these sustainable options, why is the market still filled with plastic? The biggest challenge with these materials is scalability. They are much more expensive than cheap plastic because of their high cost of production.
Sustainable = Expensive
TRends in Material Innovation
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DESIGN RESEARCH
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“Over the years, manufacturers have lobbied hard to not be responsible for what they create. That’s the biggest problem”
CHRISTINA GRACE CEO & FOUNDER, FOODPRINT GROUP FOOD SYSTEMS AND WASTE EXPERT
“Establishments feel take-out disposables don’t get disposed on site, so its not for them to worry about it. Well, someone has got to dispose it somewhere! Just because it is out of your door, doesn’t mean its not part of your carbon footprint. We want our clients to get conscious, what are you sending out to the world” - Christina Grace
The Foodprint Group helps food businesses design Zero Waste into their operating practices. By reducing waste and improving recycling, they help clients meet regulatory requirements, save money and achieve corporate sustainability goals. Their clients like Eataly and Google are assisted with resource flow in the building, the materials choices, contracts with hollers, emlpoyee training, recycling system design, signage and all kinds of operational systems. They generate monthly carbon footprints for their clients to track and improve over time. She says the food establishments have absolutely no knowlegde of how waste works. Regarding disposables, they fell if it is not getting disposed on site, its not their problem. The Foodprint Group push really hard for reusables, hoping for a world where there are no disposables. She believes if the establishment cannot get rid of all the disposables, then they should find the worst offenders, the low hanging fruit and start to change from there. She pushes for more compostable materials. She believes that nobody need straws and is working with compostable straws, but would like to see no straws.
Christina is also a part of the Zero Waste Design Guidlines Committee that address the crucial role that design plays in achieving NYC’s ambitious goal, outlined in OneNYC, to send zero waste to landfills by 2030. As a resource to help designers, building operators, and planners, the Guidelines will encourage the collaboration needed to dramatically reduce waste and work toward greater adoption of circular material flows in NYC. The committee consists of architects, planners, Department of Sanitation New York, Mayor’s Office of Sustainability in addition to Christina Along with other great design reccommendation, the guidelines include best practices for convenience disposal, visual cues and signage, food service design consideration for food estabishments that help promotes reusables, reduce waste generation and increase waste diversion rates.
EXPERT INTERVIEW
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DESIGN RESEARCH
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Plastic and styrofoam Manufacturers have lobbied hard to push their irresponsible behavior. They have ruled the disposable market. Their theory is that the consumer demands it and it is the most economical option for food establishments.
There are a uncountable rules, regulations, laws, policies and standards that are applied in this industry. Some of these realms include Food Safety, Environment, Sanitation, Natural Resources, Packaging and Material Standards and Certification, Sustainability, Pollution etc. Based on my research of the relevant legal frameworks or jurisdictions, the key legal/ethical areas include: DIFFERENT TYPES OF MATERIALS AND CONFUSION WITH TERMINOLOGY, USE AND RECYCLABILITY
REPLACING DOMINANT MATERIALS WITH NEW, MORE SUSTAINABLE, COSTLIER ALTERNATIVES
The most common materials used in the industry include plastics (PET, polystyrene, polythene, PLA, etc.), paper & cardboard, bioplastic, bio resins, etc. Most of them are either non-recyclable, partially recyclable, completely recyclable or biodegradable or compostable.
Introduction of new materials in the market is easier said than done. The problems gets more arduous if the new material is costlier than the existing. Introduction of the more sustainable materials, although ethically is a better choice, there are a number of factors that stand in its way to be accepted in high volume. One obvious solution is to ban the harmful materials and mandate the use of innovative products in a gradual manner. This however, in the past has caused various economic and legal debates, policy retractions and confusion among the industry.
There is a lot of confusion between the technical definition of the above terms, which eventually lead to miscommunication and spread mis-knowledge among the consumers, retailers, providers, legal authorities and policy makers. For example, most people do not understand the difference between biodegradable and compostable. ‘Biodegradable’ means that it can be degraded over the years naturally by earth. It can take over 200 years for a biodegradable plastic to become unharmful to the living beings . ‘Compostable’ on the other hand means that if left in the soil in proper conditions, the product will be decomposed in less than 180 days. However, the term ‘biodegradable’ is misused and understood to be a better option over recyclable/ compostable. This confusion along the nomenclature and properties of the material raises legal and ethical issues. For instance, should it be illegal to call a partial recyclable product, recyclable. What products should be legally certified to be called as biodegradable/compostable? Which product is the most ethical to use?
Styrofoam (or polystyrene) was banned by Mayor Blasio in January 2017 because of its nonrecyclable properties. In July, 2017, styrofoam manufacturers, coalition recycling firms and restaurant associations sued the city claiming that styrofoam is easily recyclable, better and cheaper than the alternatives, and adds to city’s economic gains. The manufacturers of styrofoam obviously are against the ban as it will create loss in business, cause unemployment and eventually lead to their doom. The restaurants and foodservice owners sued the city because switching to healthier alternatives will cost them more money and reduce profits. The result of the lawsuit came out in May 2017, where the New York Supreme Court judge reinstated the ban after it was proven that styrofoam is actually not completely recyclable.
Styrofoam banned in New York City - a big win for the environment.
US FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION FOOD CODE FDA authoritatively spells out the sanitary and health advantages of single-use foodservice packaging in specific situations: “A food establishment without facilities...for cleaning and sanitizing kitchenware and tableware shall provide only single-use kitchenware, single-service articles, and single-use articles for use by food employees and single-service articles for use by consumers.” The Food Code further states “in situations in which the reuse of multi-use items could result in foodborne illness to consumers, single-service and single-use articles must be used to ensure safety.”
The ethical and legal dilemma related to what materials to be used, what to ban, what policies to implement to create minimum waste is something that cannot be avoided.
Regulation & Policy Gaps
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CONSUMPTION
DESIGN RESEARCH
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An average New Yorker carries a reuseable bag to grocery store 24% of the times, while uses plastic bag and paper bag 74% and 22% respectively. An average person uses a disposable cup 45% of the times they consume any beverage.
Eco friendliness of the container is the last option in the decision making factor while buying food. Most important are food quality, nutrition and cost
63% of the working people said they have working lunch, usually from a nearby deli or a fast casual chain nearby
People having beverage in a disposable cup
To study the consumer behavior and habits while using and disposing singleuse dishware, I observed and shadowed them around cafes, delis, supermarkets, school cafeteria, parks and streets. I had in-depth converstaions with eight of my friends having different lifestyles and schedules to understand their motivation, painpoints and expectations behind their actions. I was specifically looking for answers to the following
questions: Why do people eat out? When and why do they use disposables? Why do they carry reusables, or why not? Are they aware of their wasteful behavior? Do they care? Why do they recycle? What causes them to recycle or to put in trash? Do they behave differently at home as compared to outside? Why? Are they willing to make small changes in their lives? What do they expect from the
businesses or government regarding waste? I started with consucting a survey to get quantitative data that gave me an idea of people’e eating and disposing habits.
People eating take-out/ delivered food
Do people recycle? Why people do not recycle * Based on the survey conducted as part of the research process with 103 participants living in different neighborhoods of New york City.
Quantitave survey
DESIGN RESEARCH
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35 MICHELLE ROTBART FASHION TREND STRATEGIST, STUDENT 3-4 MEALS/WEEK IN DISPOSABLES 50% RECYCLING An Ohio girl, Michelle lives on the Upper West Side with her boyfriend, a great cook. They usually cook dinner at home and sometimes take it for lunch. They use Hello Fresh for gricery delivery. She usually have salads from a nearby bodega during her office lunch hour.
“I hate washing up my dishes. Getting a disposable one is such a clean and convenient option.” - Vidhi
VIDHI ADVANI REAL ESTATE ANALYST 8-10 MEALS/WEEK IN DISPOSABLES 5% RECYCLING Vidhi calls herself a terrible cook and a foodie. She buys all her meals. Although she loves to sit inside a cafe or a restaurant, there always isn’t time or mood for it. Having lunch in a park while reading a book is a time well spent.
DEFNE GULBUKEN GRADUATE STUDENT, BABY SITTER 5-6 MEALS/WEEK IN DISPOSABLES 50% RECYCLING Being a student, Defne has no fixed schedule.The only predcitable part of her day is the Turkish breakfast that she makes everyday for herself, making it the most important meal of the day. For the rest of the day, she buys her food and beverages, mostly in single-use containers that she picks up near school before here evening classes or get food delivered at home. Because of the lack of trust, she buys bottled water everyday and ususally recycle them at home or in school. For her, convenience is the priority. While she tries her best, she finds recycling complicated, frustrating and confusing. The dustbin designs at school, and multi-material products add to the frustratio. She opts for the default behavior chosing convenience over responsibility.
She mentions that being a student last year, she produced way more waste than today when she has a fixed routine and some free time after office. As a student, she used had to-go coffee 2 to 3 times a day and used single-use dishware for almost every meal. Now since she stays put in her Whitefield office and carry left over dinner for lunch and drinks coffee in reuseable cups, her waste has almost reduced in half. She doen’t recycle her trash at home as she feels her apartment is too small to keep three bins. She feels its an unnecessary burden to carry a reusable container when a disposable one is so easily availble.
ALEJANDRO DE CASTRO MAZARRO, PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 1-2 MEALS/WEEK IN DISPOSABLES 75% RECYCLING Alejandro hates using a disposable tableware as he believes they dishonour the food being eaten. He carry reusables most of the time, his own coffee cup, shopping canvas bag and even his silverware. He eats mostly home cooked food that he and his wife prepare together. While eating out, they make sure they eat at a sit-in restaurant, believing it as a social experience.He gets frustrated with the wasteful habits he sees around the eateries. For instance, the running tap on the counter, coffee shops serving in paper cups to eat-in customers, salesperson double bagging a gum, etc. He believes it should be a business’ business to waste less.
She feels guilty that she buys bottled water everyday. But she feels proud that she recyles them everytime. She consciously pays attention to recycling at home or in the office, but her behaviour changes when she is in public spaces or on a vacation. She believes that nobody chooses to be wasteful. Everybody wants to be good and do good. If given a choice, people will choose the more responsible and sustainable option. There is a lack of awareness and education that is causes them to not make the right choice.
An admire of the Japanese minimalist culture, he believes in reducing & reusing. It starts from behavioral change, to reject and renounce some goods. As there is freedom and power in choosing, there is a freedom and power in rejecting.
“There is a dignity in eating food in ceramic plates. That dignity is lost when you eat out of paper or plastic.” - Alejandro
CONSUMER INTERVIEWS
DESIGN RESEARCH
36 CAMILA FERRARO GRADUATE STUDENT, STRATEGIST 2-4 MEALS/WEEK IN DISPOSABLES 75% RECYCLING AND UPCYCLING
“I want to see an industry shift, sustainable choices made around me, so that I don’t have to ask each time. “ - Justin
Camila lives with her husband, Sebastian in West Harlem. They prepare their weekly meals during weekends to avoid having to buy outside meals that turn out to be more expensive. She thinks the most unhealthy and wasteful habit she has is having diet coke daily. Her house is full of amazon boxes that she finds difficult to get rid of as the recycling room is almost two blocks away on the other side of the housing complex. This inconvenience causes them to recycle far less than they want to. Being a Peruvian, Camila belives that American lifestyle produces a lot of unnecessary waste. She is overwhelmed by the amount of waste at home. She tries to upcycle the plastic food containers by growing plants in them and the makes storage units out of cardboard boxes.
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JUSTIN ROMEO GRADUATE STUDENT, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 5-6 MEALS/WEEK IN DISPOSABLES 30% RECYCLING SEBASTIAN ISOLA, ARCHITECT 0-2 MEALS/WEEK IN DISPOSABLES 65% RECYCLING
Migrated from Chicago for his master’s in Urban Planning, Justin feels his food habits are disrupted after moving to NYC, thanks to his tiny apartment with no kitchen and hundreds of affordable meal options available in the neighbourhood.
Married to Camila and working in an architecural firm in Chelsea, Sebastian shares her wife’s thoughts. He carries his lunch almost everyday and rarely eats a meat out of a disposable container. A coffee addict, he used to drink 2-3 cups from a paper cup as a student. Now he mostly uses ceramic cup at the office.His primary motivation to eat out is economic benift. The resultant less waste is a default.
Each day of his week has a different but equally busy schedule. He picks up lunch from a fast casual restaurant or a deli nearby and get it to campus to eat peacefully. He carries around that plastic bag till he finishes all the food inside. He dumps the bag in the landfill bin because there are so many things in the bag (straws, paper, snack wrappers, etc.) that it takes time and effort to separate them near the bins.
According to him, being wastefull is so effortless. He wishes there was a way for recycling to be as effortless.
He believes he uses a lot of extra disposables because it is handed to them by the salespeople, like a bag or cutlery with a sandwich, and it takes effort to ask them not to everytime.
He hints a distrust in the recycling system and wants to know the impact of his actions. Sometimes, his efforts seem to be a tiny drop in the ocean and he rejects responsible behaviour thinking it doesn’t matter. He craves for a visible impact that inspires him to be more conscious.
“Being wastefull is so effortless in the America. I wish recycling was as effortless.” - Sebastian
UPASANA CHANDRA REAL ESTATE, IN BETWEEN JOBS 8-10 MEALS/WEEK IN DISPOSABLES 30% RECYCLING Upasana loves to cook but hardly gets time to go for grocery shopping and preparing the meal during job and apartment hunting. As a result, eats most of her meals in a fast casual restaurant or deli. She feels that whenever she goes to an eat-in restaurant, it costs her way more than in a fast casual restaurant or a deli. Sit-in restaurants are for special occasions or weekends. On busy weekdays, she usually goes to Chipotle, or has salads from a deli. She eats in the establishment but always in disposables as there is no other option. She is also addicted to Seamless delivery service. It is the convenient option when you are at home watching Netflix and don’t want to cook. She sometimes reuses the containers but usually throw them out without recycling as they have food and oil stuck to it.
CONSUMER INTERVIEWS
DESIGN RESEARCH
LIFESTYLE CHANGE
GUILT
DIGNITY CARE
EASY
FRUSTRATION CONFUSION HEALTHY IMPACT
DEFAULT
EFFORTLESS
DISGUST
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UNAWARE
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CHEAP
CHORE
EXPECTATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE
EFFORT
INCONVENIENCE
UNAVOIDABLE PRIDE
FAST
UNCERTAINITY
CONVENIENT
DISPOSABLE WASTE RESPONSIBLE HABIT CHOICE
Key Themes
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Post-CONSUMPTION
12,oo0 tonnes of garbage is generated by New York city residents every day.
New York City has no landfills or incinerators, yet residents produce 12,000 tons of waste every day. What happens when you throw something away? In reality, there is no “away”. Our discards are buried in the ground, burned or recycled into new products. NYC’s non-recyclable waste is sent to landfills in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. Much of Manhattan’s waste is incinerated across the Hudson River, in New Jersey. Paper waste that is properly separated from regular garbage is recycled locally or is processed for further recycling overseas. Glass, metal
DESIGN RESEARCH
$300b 83% of it goes to landfill. NYC residents currently recycle only about 17% of their total waste--half of what they could be recycling under the current program.
and plastics collected at the curbside are sent to Brooklyn and New Jersey, where they are processed and sent to various recycling markets. Recycling is a vital component of NYCs 20-year plan to handle our waste in an environmentally sensible, economically viable manner. Handling garbage in New York is expensive in both an absolute and relative sense. New York divides responsibility for handling trash between a public and a private system; together they spend $2.3 billion annually. The public agency is the
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There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away, it must go somewhere. - Annie Leonard
of taxpayers money goes to exporting garbage to landfills in either South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania or New Jersey, really far off places. This does not include the collection cost.
New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), which serves residential buildings, government agencies, and many nonprofit facilities. The private system consists of more than 250 waste-hauling firms licensed to remove waste from businesses ranging from small pizza parlors to large office buildings. In fiscal year 2012 DSNY utilized $1.6 billion of tax dollars to carry out its tasks. Private businesses pay an estimated $730 million annually to remove their trash.
NYc Waste Management System
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NYC COLLECTION, RECYCLING AND DISPOSAL SYSTEM LIFECYCLE END SOURCE
COLLECTION Recycling Facility
Residential
DSNY Collection
Incinerator Transfer Station
Awareness Convenience Reduction
Landfill
Recycling Facility Institutional
DSNY Collection
Incinerator Transfer Station
Landfill
Recycling Facility Commercial
SideWalk
All businesses in NYC are required to recycle metal, glass, plastic, beverage cartons, paper and cardboard. They are to ensure to the best of their ability that those recyclable materials are properly handled by their private carter. It is never, under any circumstances, permitted for recyclable material to be collected in the same bag with garbage or be placed in the
same compartment of a truck or container with garbage. Wherever there is a garbage bin, there should also be recycling bin(s). The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) promotes a healthy environment through efficient management of the City’s solid waste and environmentally sound longrange planning to handle New
Yorkers’ recycling and garbage. While the Department of Sanitation collects residential garbage and recycling in New York City, in most cases businesses must contract with a licensed private carter to remove their waste.
Private Carters
DSNY Collection
Incinerator Transfer Station
Landfill
Incinerator Transfer Station
Landfill
Recycling Facility Other Public Places
Source Agencies
Incinerator Transfer Station
Landfill
NYc Waste Management System
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“We don’t realize that Recycling, as a system consumes alot of energy and is very costly.. Recycling is not reducing. In fact, in the 3r’s reduce, reuse and recycle, recycling comes last. It should be the last resort.”
SAM SILVER EDUCATION & OUTREACH COORDINATOR, SIMS MATERIAL RECOVERY CENTRE, SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN SIMS Material Recovery Centre is the cornerstone of New York City’s recycling system, processing and marketing the more than 200,000 tonnes of plastic, glass and metal that New Yorkers put into recycling bins each year. The facility segregates glass, metal, beverage cartons and plastic collected by DSNY all over the city and sells it to recyclers all across USA and some in India and China. The facility has a Recycling Education Cente led by Sam Silver. They host educational tours for schools, colleges and any other interested groups or individuals, teaching them all about recycling and best practices to produce less waste. The educational tour was an eye opener for me. it cleared almost all the doubts that I ever had about what material gets reccycled and what
does not, including some shocking facts. For instance, chinese take-out boxes and coffee cups don’t get recycled as they have a wax coating. The black plastic box used by majority of food establishments don’t get segregated by the centre and don’t get recycled because of the lack of market. Sam also mentions that although the facility segregates all the trash that comes in, 83% of NYC waste doesn’t get recycled because of the lacking efforts from consumer side. He mentions that educating public about the recycling methods is the most challenging obstacle to wards OneNYC plan. He also informs that the city is thinking of shifting to single stream recycling to make it easier for consumers to understand recycling. He believes that more the number of bins the consumer has to choose from, lesser is the diversion rate.
EXPERT INTERVIEW AND Educational Tour
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APOORVA MATHUR SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR, RECYCLING CHAMPIONS PROGRAM, GROW NYC Formerly an Outreach Consultant at DSNY Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability, Apoorva is currently working with Grow NYC as a Sustainability Coordinator of the Recycling Champions Program. Recycling Champions Program develops model recycling programs at over 100 NYC public schools each year, educating 100,000 students, staff, and custodians about recycling, with an aim to make all 1800 public schools in NYC zero waste. This initiative was developed after Mayor announced OneNYC program stating NYC’s goals to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030.
“ There was a little bit of pushback from schools in the beginning to implement zero waste strategies, but now they see the benefits, feel proud and try harder. We see significant visible behavioral shift and quantifiable impact in the waste diversion rates.”
Apoorva works with 12 schools on the Upper West Side implementing strategies for education, infrastructural changes and operational changes to help make them more sustainable. They make sure they work with every single stakeholder in the school building - the custodian, principal, teachers, and students to ensure there is a comprehensive understanding and implementation of the strategies. She mentions that in the beginning she faced
challenges to convince and motivate the stakeholders to participate, but now the schools see the benefits, feels proud and try harder. Regarding the use of disposable dishware, she mentions that because of the major push from Cafeteria Culture, it is mandatory for public schools in NYC to use compostable trays instead of formerly used styrofoam. That has a huge impact. The other shift that they make is using sporks instead of individual spoons and forks. Also, earlier the cafeteria gave a packet of cutlery with spoons, knives and forks to each student, which caused a lot of waste. Now, they moved to selfservice, take-what-you-need model. She feels proud that they have made such significant, visible behavioral shift in the stakeholders and quanitfiable impact in the waste diversion rates in these school. She believes that there is a long way for food establishments to become zero waste, but small gradual changes have big impacts. Sustainable choices being more expensive, price and competition would be the biggest challenge for food establishments like local delis, bodegas and street carts.
EXPERT INTERVIEW
Insights
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RECYCLING IS CONFUSION
People are confused with what material/ product is recyclable or goes in which bin. If the product has multiple materials, confusion arises and people either throw it in the wrong bin or just put in the trash.
Responsible behaviour is the outcome of convenience, not a lifestyle. Fact People do not recycle most of the time or carry reusables because it is inconvenient. People eat out or order in because it is easy and effortless.
“Where does the milk carton go? It’s made out of paper, has a plastic cup & aluminium lining. I just throw it in the paper.” - DG
“Wait, compostable is not same as biodegradable?” Everyone “Being wasteful is so effortless. There has to be a way to make recycling as effortless as being wasteful.” - SI
Observation Inconvenience causes frustration, wastes time and takes effort, which makes people avoid the task.
DISPOSABLE IS CONVENIENT
Carrying reusables takes up a lot of space and adds weight to an already loaded bag. Buying a disposable cup/ cutlery is convenient and no extra effort needed. An average New Yorker carries a reuseable bag to grocery store 24% of the times, while uses plastic bag and paper bag 74% and 22% respectively. An average person uses a disposable cup 45% of the times they consume any beverage. “I don’t want to carry an empty coffee cup all day in my bag if I am going to have one later in the day and then come home, wash it everyday. - VA
RECYCLING IS INCONVENIENT
If the product has multiple materials, confusion arises and people either throw it in the wrong bin or just put in the landfill trash. There is no time to think and it takes time and effort. “I want to do good, I am trying but it’s just so hard and inconvenient? I have to separate the lid. I don’t have time to do that. I just trash it.” ” - DG “I have multiple materials in my plastic bag, I don’t separate each thing while throwing. I just put the whole bag in the bin.” - JR
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Fact People usually eat lunches alone, picked up from fast casual restaurants.
76% of people who eat takeout/delivered food multiple times a week are students, freelancers or have multiple jobs.
Observation: Most people have working lunch, that is fast, short, consist of a single dish with limited options and easily available in the neighborhood.
56% of full time employees said they have take-out/ delivered food less than once a week.
Lunch is a chore, not a social or experiential activity.
“I don’t know where I am going to be during lunch. I have multiple things to do. It’s best to just pickup food and head to the next place.” - JR
Fact People use more disposable dishware when they are busy and/or have unpredictable schedule.
Observation When people do not know where they will be during mealtime, they do not carry food with them. They pick up something that is easily available.
Unpredictability can cause unconscious decision making.
Dishware dignifies meals. “I pickup a sandwich, sushi or salad from the nearby deli and eat it at the park or at my desk back in the office. I don’t have time to go eat in a restaurant.” - Amanda
“I usually eat my lunch at Chipotle or sweetgreens because it is quick and I don’t have to think about what I want to eat” - UC
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We can’t solve what we can’t see.
“That feeling that my effort is useless, tiny drop in an ocean. It doesn’t matter if I don’t do it” - CF
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Fact People forget to recycle or carry reusables, even who are aware and really care. Observation People do not actively think about ways to reduce waste.
“When I stop seeing my garbage, is it really happening?” - SI
“Even if I have a cotton bag in my bag, I forget to take it out at the store. I just take the plastic bag by default.” - Akhil
Fact People can’t see the impact of their actions. Observation People don’t understand the impact of their disposable habits. They also don’t realise the positive effect of their individual behaviour.
“I forget to carry my reusable cup all the time.” -UC
Reducing waste is not a priority for people. It is not something that they do unconsciously. They need constant reminders.
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We expect others to improve before we improve ourselves.
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“We don’t realize that Recycling, as a system consumes alot of energy and is very costly.. Recycling is not reducing. In fact, in the 3r’s - reduce, reuse and recycle, recycling comes last. It should be the last resort.”- Sam Silver
“If you can’t recycle them, why make them.” - DG
Recycling generates more waste when Pride overrules Guilt. Fact People want food establishments to keep sustainable material choices. Observation People want to see sustainable choices made around them so they can be more motivated and do it unconsciously, making it a default behavior.
Why do they give me a coffee in a disposable cup if I am eating in? Why do I have to ask everytime? - AC
“All external forces should push people to do things in a more sustainable way.” MR “I hope to see an industry shift around me. Like Sweetgreen giving compostable and lightweight plastics.” - JR
RECYCLING ≠ REDUCING Fact People use and waste more when they know they are going to recycle. Observation People that are thinking about recycling are not necessarily thinking about reusing or reducing. People use and waste more resources if their pride of doing the right thing is more than the guilt of producing waste.
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Materials
We produce materials that remain on earth for hundreds of years, harming the environment and us. We innovate materials that cannot be recycled.
Products
Waste is a design flaw.
We make products that are meant to last for a brief period of time with materials that will last forever. We design products that it makes us inconvenient to use.
Services
We design services that promote irresponsible and unethical behavior. We design services that confuse users.
Systems
We design complicated systems that are expensive and pollute the environment. We design systems that empowers the one who makes more money rather than the one who does good.
Opportunities
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The dishware dignifies meals.
Waste is a design flaw.
PERISHABLE MATERIAL THAT DECOMPOSES WITH FOOD MAKE BAMBOO/ LEAF PLATES LOCAL + SCALABLE
We can’t solve what we can’t see.
EATABLE/ PLANTABLE/ QUICKLY COMPOSTABLE DISHWARE
‘SHAME CUP’ (WARNING SIGNS ON DISPOSABLES)
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE REDUCE
NO DISPOSABLE DAYS
COMMUNITY EDUCATION/ AWRARENESS PROGRAMS + ACTIVITIES
CONSUMPTION
MATERIAL INNOVATION
PRE CONSUMPTION
SUBSIDIES ON COMPOSTABLE/ ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS
BAN NONRECYCLABLE MATERIALS
FOOD ESTABLISHMENT SERVICE DESIGN
POST CONSUMPTION
QUICK SERVICE EAT-IN RESTAURANT/ DELI
INTERIOR DESIGN FOR COMPACT WASHING & STORAGE
STAFF TRAINING KIT FOR SERVICE + RECYCLING
INDIVIDUAL WASTE STATISTICS NOTIFICATION PER DAY
IMPACT STORYTELLING
TRASH TRACKER BINS WITH REPORTS
INDIVIDUAL ZERO WASTE CHALLENGES WITH PRIZES
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE RECYCLING
EXTRA TAX ON DISPOSALES/ TAX BREAKS ON ZERO WASTE
POLICY CHANGES We expect others to change before we change oursleves.
DISPOSABLE USERS MUST EAT OUT POLICY
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE REUSE
SHAREABLE BOXES WITH CURBSIDE DROP-OFF SERVICES
Lunch is a gastronomical chore, not a social or experiential activity.
Responsible behavior needs constant reminders.
DISCOUNT/ OFFERS ON REUSABLES
FAVOURITE CUP DAY
Uncertainty derails conscious decision making.
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CARRY YOUR TRASH WEEK
WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSYTEM
ENERGY GENERATING CURBSIDE DUSTBINS
GAMIFIED VALIDATION: POINTS TO PUT TRASH IN THE RIGHT BIN
MATERAIL SCANNER/ VIRTUAL GUIDE NEAR DUSTBINS
TRASH <> BIN COLOR CODED/ MATCHING SYMBOLS (GAMIFIED)
Concept
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Responsible behaviour is the outcome of convenience, not a lifestyle. We expect others to improve before we improve ourselves. People generate waste unconsciously. They need constant reminders.
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“I want to see an industry shift, sustainable choices made around me, so that I don’t have to ask each time. “ - Justin “Even if I have a cotton bag in my bag, I forget to take it out at the store. I just take the plastic bag by default.” - Akhil Why do they give me a coffee in a disposable cup if I am eating in? Why do I have to ask everytime? - Mari
Lunch is a chore, not a social or experiential activity.
“Single-use cups aren’t to-go cups anymore. They ave just become a norm, a default.” - Cafe Salesperson
Unpredictability can cause unconscious decision making.
GENERATING WASTE IS A DEFAULT BEHAVIOR
HOW MIGHT WE MAKE BEING WASTELESS A DEFAULT BEHAVIOR? Issue & InSights
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Service Design Toolkit • Infrastructural Changes Kit • Operational Changes KIt • Staff Training Kit • Branding & Signage Kit • Material Choice Suggestions • Bespoke Interior Design Solutions • Conscious Certificate
Food Establishments, specially local delis, aren’t that aware of impact of the choices they make as a service provider and the impact of those choices on consumers’ choice and behavior. They don’t understand the value of recycling. They don’t realise that small little behaviours and design in the service are generating meaningless trash. Just because of easy access, people end up using way more than needed.
Through the Service Design Toolkit, we make food service providers not only aware of the impact they cause, but also provide them with a set of small changes in their service, while training the staff to act consciously and stimulate the consumers to do the same.
“Establishments feel takeout disposables don’t get disposed on site, so its not for them to worry about it. Well, someone has got to dispose it somewhere! Just because it is out of your door, doesn’t mean its not part of your carbon footprint. We want our clients to get conscious, what are you sending out to the world” - Christina Grace
ROUTINE
CUE
HABIT LOOP
REWARD
Idea
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WE sometimes underestimate the influence of little things.
OPPORTUNITIES
Local delis and street carts are looking for alternate materials after the styrofoam ban. Mayor’s OneNYC plan to achieve Zero Waste in NYC by 2030 and committment for a sustainable city is pushing a lot of regulatory changes that are exucuted firmly.
- Charles W. Chestnutt
“There was a little bit of pushback from schools in the beginning to implement zero waste strategies, but now they see the benefits, feel proud and try harder. We see significant visible behavioral shift and quantifiable impact in the waste diversion rates.” - Apoorva Mathur, GrowNYC
POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS We believe if food establishments change a little bit of their behavior and services, they can significantly change consumer behavior.
execution
If the reusable cups were provided by the server, the trashbin in the cafe will not be full of discarded cups. If there were clear clues near the dustbin, we will put your trash in the right bin. If the eatery gives our sushi in a compostable box, we won’t be throwing plastic.
Impact
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REFERENCES INNOVATIVE MATERIALS Leafplate Bollant http://blog.drupa.com/de/entrepreneur-is-inspired-by-traditional-packaging/ http://retailasiaonline.com/straw-based-food-packaging-targeted-at-supermarkets/ http://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Processing-Packaging/100-straw-packaging-supermarketValueForm-entrepreneur Wasara-tableware (Japanese Company) Leaves plates in the US Yash-papers Leaf-republic 1 2 3 4 5 Leaflab Bamboo Home VerTerra Innovative Packaging http://worldcentric.org/biocompostables http://www.ecowareproducts.com/about-ecoware-biodegradables.html Some more Paper Beer Pint Paper-water-bottle Detergent Bottle Compostable-packaging-test-bambu-plates-breakdown Environmentally-friendly-can-collar Packaging-from-milk-protein (Edible Packaging) Compostable-coffee-pods Bamboo Cutlery Takeout Boxes Biodegradable-packaging Burlap Packaging Bamboo Mugs Family Farm Pulses Potato Chips Card Board box
WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN NYC https://opendata.cityofnewyork.us/data/#datasetscategory http://www1.nyc.gov/html/onenyc/visions/sustainability/goal-2-sustain.html http://www1.nyc.gov/html/onenyc/progress/zero-waste http://www.nyc.gov/html/onenyc/downloads/pdf/publications/OneNYC.pdf http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/zerowaste/residents/food-scraps-and-yard-waste.shtml http://consumersunion.org/news/nyc-zero-waste-campaign-releases-community-based-plan/ https://streeteasy.com/blog/where-nyc-garbage-goes/ http://consumersunion.org/search-results/?cx=008450163518569688626%3Afh4erqa9pxg&cof=F ORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=disposable+Food+Packaging http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20160710/POLITICS/160709912/new-yorkers-recycle-onlya-third-of-the-more-than-44-million-pounds-of-waste-they-generate-a-day-getting-the-city-tostop-sending-garbage-to-landfills-could-be-the-mayors-most-ambitious-plan http://www.wastedive.com/news/nyc-zero-waste-progress-report-gives-updates-on-shift-tosingle-stream-l/441031/ http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/zerowaste/businesses/resources.shtml http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/zerowaste/businesses/recycling-for-businesses.shtml http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/docs/commercial-recycling-notice-english.pdf http://metrocosm.com/where-new-york-garbage-goes/ https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/docs/about_2007-public-space-recycling-pilot_0815.pdf BOOKS The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg Cradle to Cradle - William McDonough @ Michael Braungart Misbehaving - Richard H. Thaler
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REFERENCES CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR https://www.npr.org/2017/06/02/531173499/why-recycling-options-lead-people-to-waste-more https://www.mamavation.com/2015/08/dangerous-disposables-toxic-dinnerware-that-destroysthe-world.html TRENDS http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/global-flexible-packaging-market http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/food-container-market http://www.packagingdigest.com/food-packaging/closer-look-global-food-container-market http://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/5-persistent-food-and-beverage-packagingtrends-2016-05-19/page/0/2 http://www.supplychainbrief.com/?query=food%20packaging&open-article-id=6907272&articletitle=5-key-trends-affecting-the-consumer-package-goods-industry&blog-domain=kinaxis. com&blog-title=the-21st-century-supply-chain http://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/brand-building-irresistable-pkg-design-1708 http://www.packagingdigest.com/sustainable-packaging/study-consumers-c-value-degradablefood-pkg1709 https://begreenpackagingstore.com/blogs/news/7303900-eco-friendly-food-containers-thenewest-trend-in-the-food-industry
REGULATIONS AND POLICIES Ban on plastic bags/ plastic disposable takeouts France-bans-plastic-cups-plates/index.html City Sanitation Department - City Hall - Mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office of Sustainability Natural Resources Defence Council State & Federal Court Restaurant Action Alliance Environmental Standards Food Safety Standards OneNYC goal for Zero Waste by 2030 Bottle Bill legislation FDA Food Code http://www.ift.org/knowledge-center/read-ift-publications/science-reports/scientific-statussummaries/food-packaging.aspx MISCELLANEOUS Sustainable-food-packaging-is-it-that-hard Packaging-the-future-could-paper-take-plastics-place/ Leaf extract as Antibacterial Coating Leaves-natural-packaging-packed-antioxidants/ Study that showed High Density and Low Density Polythene packaging increased the Shelf Life of bananas bt 15 days as compared to dried banana leaf and teff straw packaging. Traditional-and-indigenous-food-preservation-methods Intense Research on food Packaging http://creativeroots.org/category/world/asia-pacific/india/ Evolution of Plastic Packaging Innovative-food-packaging-solutions Why-flavor-and-packaging-innovation-matters-when-marketing-to-millennials Food-packaging/food-packaging-innovations-deliver-longer-life-sustainability Consumerism-mass-extinction-and-our-throw-away-society Environmental Effects of a Coffee Cup
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DESIGN RESEARCH
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