NUDGING PEOPLE TO
WASTELESS FOOD
WHY IS
FOODAWASTE PROBLEM?
WHY IS
FOODAWASTE PROBLEM? ENVIRONMENT
WATER
MONEY
HEALTH
40%
OF THE IN THE U.S.
FOOD IS
WASTED.
THE PROBLEM FOOD
OBSERVED
BEHAVIOR
Most households seem to have a counter method of storing food, such as a “fruit bowl” or a basket. The problem with these is that they are not optimal for certain foods (some which are better off in the fridge) but the contextual barrier is that there is no indication how these foods should be stored. As a result, foods ripen more quickly because they are so close together and producing excess ethylene gas that makes food spoil. A fruit bowl also doesn’t enable people to see what’s underneath the items on the top. There is also a psychological barrier because as humans we tend to go for what is closest to us and what our eyes see first, even if it is not the best choice in preventing waste. This automatic way of thinking seems to be a hindrance to creating awareness about food waste and its larger impact.
OBSERVED
BEHAVIOR
Items in the fridge are not stored in an efficient manner. There is no specific recommendation on how or where to store certain foods, such as what shelf or what foods should not be stored together. This random sorting method causes problems in terms of knowing what food is beginning to spoil, as well as what food is in the fridge already for future grocery store trips. The contextual barrier here is that all the shelves look the same, and the social barrier is that people will place food wherever they please, which creates a domino affect to the other members of the household when they are storing food.
BEHAVIOR MAPPING POOR FOOD STORAGE
FORGETFULNESS
THROWING FOOD AWAY
BUYING EXCESS
LARGER IMPACT
BARRIERS PSYCHOLOGICAL “Survival Instinct� where people feel the need to have an abundance of food around them, in fear of running out. Also, people who overbuy either because they are hungry or because of a bargain that they cannot resist.
SOCIAL What are other people buying? Where are the other members of the household storing food and what are they eating?
CONTEXTUAL How is the fridge laid out? How is food traditionall stored on the counter-usually a fruit bowl/basket-and how does this cause food to spoil more quickly where people throw it out?
TARGET BEHAVIOR The goal is getting people to waste little to no food. Also, creating a mindfulness for food consumption and food waste by implementing solutions to be used primarily in the home setting. To measure this, we would compare the amount of food bought vs. the amount in the household’s trash can. By looking at the receipt we can also evaluate how much money they have wasted.
SOLUTIONS
PRODUCE RIPENING STICKERS
The grocery store will place these labels on produce when it is received. As the produce ripens, the stickers will changed based on the amount of ethylene gas released (which occurs as produce ripens). The color of the stickers will indicate where the food should be stored, grey for the counter and green for the refrigerator, which will be apparent in the next part of these solutions. The store receipt will indicate what the labels mean and how they work.
SOLUTIONS
PRODUCE RIPENING STICKERS
A black sticker will indicate that there is mold present on the specific item, with a “DON’T EAT” message. The green color signifies that the item belongs in the fridge, but for any item a black sticker shows someone that they should not consume the food for safety reasons. These labels will also help the stores and shopping experience so people won’t be buying rotten food and stores won’t be selling it.
SOLUTIONS FOOD STORAGE A fridge-labeling system would greatly assist any household in reducing their amount of food waste. This fridge is color-coded, and includes labels of the corresponding items that belong on each shelf. This utilizes matching principles, where people will put the food in the area that it seems to belong. The colors are reminders that work to cue people in combination with the labels. The point of this storage system is to place the food in the best places of the fridge to maximize preservation. The green color matches the produce ripening stickers, a further cue.
SOLUTIONS
RECEIPT REMINDER By placing a receipt from the store on the fridge, people not only can track the groceries they have in their fridge (by crossing off), they are also given a monetary value that is assigned to their groceries. The grocery store (such as Sprouts) will give the customer their receipt along with a sticker, telling them to shop smarter by sticking the receipt on the fridge (or somewhere else it will be noticed in the kitchen).
SOLUTIONS RECEIPT REMINDER This was a tested experiment (conducted previously by some money-saving bloggers online), that showed results that were very compelling. Over $100 were saved a month ($1200 a year) by not overspending and then wasting groceries. The women from the study also claimed that it made them make better responsible decisions at the next trip to the store. If the grocery stores start getting their customers to do this, it would encourage more people to waste a lot less food. Also, it gives people a reason to shop at their store feeling like Sprouts has their best interests (and the world’s) at heart.
FINAL PLAN
Proposing these solutions to smaller grocery stores and food waste prevention groups such as Food Shift is the final goal. With their help, these solutions can be further tested in large groups and eventually implemented in everyday life so that we can make food waste a problem of the past.
THANK YOU.
Shannon Hickman
PRESENTATION BY