Reducing Household Food Waste
Overview
Despite using tools like grocery lists and meal plans, many people still struggle to manage their food efficiently at home — leading to frequent overbuying, forgotten ingredients, and wasted produce. How might we design a solution that supports everyday food planning and storage habits in a way that reduces household food waste?
Timeline
10 weeks
Team
Aman Lokhande, Isabella Maki, Rahul Madanmohan Singh and myself
Research Methods
We interviewed 9 participants, aged 21–44, about their food management habits, tools, decision-making processes, and attitudes toward leftovers and expired food. We also asked them to reflect on potential features they would like to see in a technology-based solution to assist with grocery and food management.
Interview Goals
We then synthesized the interview responses using an affinity diagram. These insights fed into user personas.
Key Insights & Design Implications
1. Planned Shopping: Common, but Flawed
Most participants described grocery shopping as a planned process, often driven by specific ingredients they needed for meals. They commonly used tools like the Notes app, whiteboards, or pen and paper to create lists, typically after checking their fridge or pantry to see what they already have. Several participants described mentally walking through the sections of their preferred grocery store while making their list, using the store layout as a memory aid to ensure they didn’t forget anything.
Grocery List Management
The technology-based solution should support users in creating more comprehensive and structured grocery lists that align with their planned meals and existing pantry inventory.
Savable Store Maps
The technology-based solution could include customizable or savable store maps that let users organize their lists by store sections, reinforcing their natural planning process and reducing forgotten items.
2. In-Store Shopping List Deviation
Even with a grocery list, participants frequently make spontaneous purchases when they shop in person, either because something looks appealing or because they remember something they forgot.
Streamlined Planning and Shopping
The technology-based solution should help users build more complete lists by streamlining the meal planning and list making process, making them more intuitive and less prone to omissions.
3. Lack of Food Management System
Even with a grocery list, participants frequently make spontaneous purchases when they shop in person, either because something looks appealing or because they remember something they forgot.
Food Management Aid
Based on our interview findings, participants expressed having difficulty with effectively managing their food inventory, often due to forgetfulness. Therefore, the technology-based solution should focus on augmenting users’ memory in overseeing their food inventory through tracking and reminding them.
Personalized Recipe Assistance
Participants frequently experience difficulties in coming up with ways to use loose ingredients, and often make meal decisions based on different lifestyle preferences. Hence, the solution should provide aids that consider users’ available ingredients, dietary preferences, and cooking skills. As some participants often intentionally cook enough to have leftovers, it might be necessary to provide an option to adjust cooking servings for different needs.
Visibility Enhancement
Several participants emphasized the importance of visibility in effectively managing their inventory. Therefore, the technology-based solution should aim to enhance the visibility of users’ storage spaces, making it easier for users to quickly assess their inventory with a glance. This could reduce instances of overlooked or forgotten items.
Limitaions & Future Work
For future improvement, more diverse user research is needed to understand different needs and challenges. Gathering feedback from the target audience will also help refine the proposed solution.
These steps will support the development of an inclusive and effective technology to help reduce household food waste.
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