On a mission to prevent food scraps from urban cities ending in waste landfills by making composting so easy and hassle-free that it becomes the natural new normal.
ROOTS
Group project I Contribution: Design research | Design strategy | Product design & ideation (2D sketches) | Storytelling
PROJECT BRIEF
Roots was a school project that explores composting in urban areas and addresses the low rates of participation through products, services, and systems.
GOALS
The objective of this project was to innovate and explore new ways of handling composting in urban areas.
Roots is a composting system designed for residential households. Our bins feature easily removable and swappable inner buckets for effortless sorting of food scraps. With a subscription plan, households can schedule convenient bin pickups through our app, making composting hassle-free.
CONTEXT
Every year, U.S. landfills are filled with 146.1 million tons of waste
30% of food scraps that go to landfills are compostable
Around 30% of that is yard waste and food scraps, which contribute to the uncontrolled off gassing of methane, a greenhouse gas 80x more potent than CO2.
If everyone in the United States composted, it would be equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from the road
77 % of the U.S. population has expressed a willingness to take personal action against climate change, but only 27% actually participate in composting programs.
THE PROBLEM
DESIGN EXPLORATION
As this project was based on a pertinent and timely issue, during the sprint phase, we prioritized user engagement, conducting insightful surveys and interviews to identify and understand the specific problems our design aimed to solve. This user-centric approach not only guided our design decisions but also laid the groundwork for a solution tailored to genuine needs.
We engaged with members of the NYC sanitation department to gain firsthand knowledge of the city's efforts to make composting mandatory and more efficient.
INSIGHTS
Messiness
People don’t want to deal with something gross, smelly and complicated.
Time
Lack of time hindering prioritization of eco-actions.
Effort
The need to begin a new trash routine makes composting less straightforward.
DESIGN PIVOT
From a product design to a system design
During the design process of the bin, we realized that the product itself only dealt with the messiness component of the takeaways from the user research. It did not sufficiently address the pain points of time and effort that users had expressed to us. So we decided to pivot our design approach and focus on a system perspective, with the conviction that the product should exist within a larger system that addresses the needs of our user.
NEW INSIGHTS
A support system
If the goal is mass adoption of composting food scraps, then the key is to make it as simple to adopt as possible. This means not only creating a medium but also providing a support system.
Education
There is an opportunity to educate people about composting by helping them start and making this transition an easy one.
THE SOLUTION
Roots is a home composting system where customers do not need to worry about anything but sorting out their food scraps.
Our bins were designed so that the inside bucket can be easily removed and swapped for a clean one according to a subscription plan. Households can schedule bin pickups through our app.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
1
Download the app and order a bin based on household size
2
Schedule a pickup based on preferred frequency
3
Wait for our team to arrive at your door
4
Swap your used bin for a clean one
THE BINS
Recycled plastic casing and lids
Sleek and streamlined profile
Different colors and sizes. Fits in fridge door
S
M
L
Stainless steel inserts
Blueberry
Lychee
Spinach
Blackberry
THE SYSTEM
Stackable inserts
Easy to Transport
Ensuring the right next step: Turning compost into fertilizer or biogas
Digital app and support to start the composting journey
BUSINESS MODEL
We envisioned a subscription model for two different customer segments: residential households and building managers. Prices and services may vary accordingly. In either case, the final user of our app will be the homeowners or residents, who will have access to our services, learning resources, and their own data. They can track their food waste and plan improvements accordingly.
