Driving circularity through innovation

Tetrapak ✴︎ Product Design Thesis Project ✴︎ 2018

Overview

During my academic journey, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Tetra Pak, a world leader in the packaging industry. The thesis project, developed in synergy with the company's research and development manager, had the primary objective of designing an innovative concept focused on sustainability and reducing food waste.

This thesis project represents an important milestone in my educational and professional path, as it allowed me to work in an international context and contribute to the development of innovative solutions for a more sustainable future.

The approach

I decided to use the Double Diamond framework for the design process, a valuable tool for tackling complex challenges and creating innovative solutions.
I made use of the key phases of Discover, Define, Develop , Deliver.

During the Discovery phase, I did extensive research gathering data, exploring context to identify opportunities.

During the Define phase, I synthesised information, and defined the problem to solve, distilling complex information into clear insights.

During the Develop phase, I generated ideas, seeking inspiration from elsewhere and created low-fidelity designs to be tested.

In the Deliver phase the final outputs were tested to reject those that didn’t work and improve the ones that did.

The problem

Every year, enormous amounts of food are wasted along the distribution chain, from the field to the table. This not only has a devastating environmental impact but also leads to economic losses and wasted resources.

Brief

Help millennials in raising awareness to avoid food waste through a smart accessory that communicates with the consumers through the Tetra Pak packaging and creates a system for sharing supplies.

Analysis

The analysis was conducted on a cluster of millennial users. User analysis was carried out through a survey of 125 users and qualitative analyses to understand perceptions and capture user insights.

The analysis revealed that most food waste occurs at the distribution and consumption levels. Consumer purchasing habits and the lack of proper food expiration management are among the main causes of waste. Additionally, the difficulty in redistributing excess food, due to logistical inefficiencies and a lack of collaboration between people, represents a significant barrier to reducing waste.

The research showed that consumers are generally open to solutions that help reduce waste, provided that they are easy to use and ensure food safety. The studies also confirmed that there is a growing desire for sustainable behaviours, but many consumers are unsure how to act in this regard.

Through in-depth interviews and surveys, I created a detailed persona named Matteo who served as the foundation for all design decisions, helping me to prioritise features and create a user-centred experience.

Benchmark

Many initiatives were analysed, including "Too Good To Go" and "OLIO." These projects have achieved notable success in promoting the reduction of food waste through sharing platforms. Moreover I analysed many technologies used to maintain and preserve food in order to avoid waste.

Important key concepts I investigated were food sharing and how much people feel comfortable in food sharing and what importance the food trustability has for them.

Concept

The central initiative of Re Circle involves the development of a digital platform that enables the sharing of excess food and aims to reduce food waste through sharing and circularity. It is a partnership between Tetrapak and low-impact organic brands designed to create both a physical and digital experience for food sharing within communities and to reduce food waste.The platform allows individuals to register and report any food surpluses. At the same time, users who need such products can browse the platform and arrange for the collection or delivery of the food. The system includes features to ensure food safety and facilitate the monitoring of transactions.

How it works

Storytelling

The App

Testing

The testing phase involved the Porto 15 community, a collaborative cohousing in Bologna with diverse individuals focused on environmental issues and sustainability. User tests were conducted to evaluate the platform's effectiveness in facilitating the exchange of surplus food. The feedback obtained was used to improve the platform's usability, introducing additional features such as automatic notifications, food traceability, and a rating system to ensure the quality of transactions.

Benefits

For users

By learning correct product storage and food-saving recipes, they can contribute to saving the environment, raise awareness about sustainability issues, and ultimately save money.

For biological brand

The in-app push notifications will help them launch promotions and products effectively while also strengthening the brand image and building consumer trust. This will allow them to gather valuable data on consumer behaviour

For Tetrapak

Communicating a commitment to sustainability can empower companies to offer new services to food and beverage producers, fostering consumer engagement and helping businesses growth. This can also strengthen existing customer relationships