Reducing food waste in distribution centers by preserving the freshness of produce
Group project, 5 members, 5 months
Team Activities:
User Research
Product Opportunity Gap Identification
Value Opportunity Analysis
Persona and Scenario Development
Competitor Mapping
Business Model Canvas
Experimentation
Individual Responsibilities:
Trend Identification
Ideation
User Testing
Prototyping
CAD Models
Produce is rejected daily as it deteriorates and then fails to meet visual inspection standards. These standards are measured by employees who perform "freshness walks." However, although products might be unsalable given consumers' high standards of visual perfection, this produce is still edible. We wanted to extend the length of time that distribution centers have to redirect rejected food to donation centers and food banks before they end up in landfills.
Edible Produce being diverted due to unsalability
Throughout this project, we focused on distribution centers, as they are further upstream than grocery stores and, despite having less consumer interaction, are responsible for greater quantities of food. For grocery store chains, the distribution center is at the center of the process, as illustrated below.
Stakeholder map with distribution center
The video of our solution and some additional pictures of the model and prototype are below.
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