Integrating food production and waste management for sustainable urban living
A future business for a circular economy
GRAPHIC DESIGN | INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION | MAKING | SPECULATIVE DESIGN | WRITING
![Explanation card that accompanies all purchases of the Digester, the Food & Waste Alliance's first product](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/56b09147f18fb81b575c6f4845167921/f846c7ff-84f3-4072-bd81-d740402669b9_rw_3840.png?h=dece4e6b1e1766fde9bfbe07f08eb149)
Explanation card that accompanies all purchases of the Digester, the Food & Waste Alliance's first product
![Biology experiment with three bacteria that informed the speculative design of the Digester](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/56b09147f18fb81b575c6f4845167921/cf790f4f-9a9d-4e07-9db2-ef4ff7e337fb_rw_1200.jpg?h=259f824849e68a1f1f60569a196a0dc3)
Biology experiment with three bacteria that informed the speculative design of the Digester
According to a 2015 study of household waste bins in Scotland, food waste accounts for approximately 29% of the material in waste bins [1] and Scotland only recycles 27% of its food waste properly [1]. The majority of food waste goes to landfills and produces greenhouse gases as it decomposes [2].
Scotland's food waste management reflects a global problem: we waste one third of all food produced [3].
For a speculative biodesign project, I imagined the company Food & Waste Alliance (FWA). In the year 2028, FWA enables a circular food economy with its products and services. Its products include the Digester, a bacteria-powered waste bin that transforms food waste into fertilizer. Its services include delivery of customers' excess fertilizer to farmers and delivery of food grown with Digester-produced fertilizer.
![Cover page from the FWA product book](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/56b09147f18fb81b575c6f4845167921/b4d807f5-c0b2-4661-aa2f-a520a1f1515e_rw_1920.png?h=f83350d189480e8965d3f8de529ebb08)
Cover page from the FWA product book
![About FWA (excerpt from Food & Waste Alliance's product book)](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/56b09147f18fb81b575c6f4845167921/e91f7930-b0ee-4cc3-a022-84a1e7c595fa_rw_1920.png?h=37286c39f93aa287db8b5c9ec90a046c)
About FWA (excerpt from Food & Waste Alliance's product book)
![Overview of FWA products (excerpt from FWA product book)](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/56b09147f18fb81b575c6f4845167921/7868fffc-22d2-43e7-b79c-7bdfbf6ace9d_rw_1920.png?h=0036d5944ffde77c0eabda12ebff4e45)
Overview of FWA products (excerpt from FWA product book)
![Digester description (excerpt from FWA product book)](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/56b09147f18fb81b575c6f4845167921/2b5e461a-5972-4636-a6f0-ed9836db90f0_rw_1920.png?h=61f33fa58746b848628c4abf907fd129)
Digester description (excerpt from FWA product book)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/56b09147f18fb81b575c6f4845167921/ee9efd6e-9254-47ba-9aaf-51b3a1c8ba42_rw_3840.png?h=c02adb63cee4e756f196e70a7be75347)
![Food & Waste Alliance seeds to grow food with Digester-produced fertilizer](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/56b09147f18fb81b575c6f4845167921/a56e8447-46e8-4441-9ddf-8b9479b1f4fd_rw_1200.png?h=5d030cf34de1967c0d829ac21912ce17)
Food & Waste Alliance seeds to grow food with Digester-produced fertilizer
![Food & Waste Alliance seeds to grow food with Digester-produced fertilizer](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/56b09147f18fb81b575c6f4845167921/26927ff2-ed3a-47d2-ae83-8571766ce627_rw_1200.png?h=d64bfd4ffcabdc39cda98959092bd04f)
Food & Waste Alliance seeds to grow food with Digester-produced fertilizer
![Food & Waste Alliance seeds to grow food with Digester-produced fertilizer](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/56b09147f18fb81b575c6f4845167921/4648d003-79f1-480d-a0d7-52dd9416cea3_rw_1920.png?h=da8221cb05f4ab38fbe6855fe0a656e8)
Food & Waste Alliance seeds to grow food with Digester-produced fertilizer
Created with Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop, a ducting tube, bacteria, food waste and the Circular Design Guide*
Citations:
1. 5 Key takeaways from the composition of household waste report. (2018, March 19). Retrieved from https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/5-key-takeaways-composition-household-waste-report
2. United Nations Environment Programme. (2013, Sept. 11). Food waste harms climate, water, land and biodiversity - new FAO report. Retrieved May 1, 2018, from https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/food-waste-harms-climate-water-land-and-biodiversity-new-fao-report
3. One-third as measured by weight. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). 2011. Global food losses and food waste--extent, causes and prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
*by IDEO and the MacArthur Foundation