Balancing Food Waste management with Great Customer Experience in The Commons

Design Research & Strategy
CLIENT: Chartwells at the Illinois Institute of Technology
Project Overview
Our research project focused on addressing a critical issue faced by Chartwells Catering Services at the Illinois Institute of Technology. As managers of The Commons, the main school cafeteria, Chartwells was grappling with substantial food waste. Our investigation revealed that 2,980 pounds of food were being wasted, with 27-53% of food requested by students going uneaten. This waste translated to an annual financial loss of approximately $300,000. The core challenge of our project was to develop effective strategies to eliminate this food waste and mitigate financial losses, all while ensuring Chartwells maintained its high standard of service quality for the student body.
My Contributions
Role: Lead Researcher ( 3-person team)
Responsible for:
- Methodology design
- Protocol execution
- Data analysis and insight synthesis
- Final report presentation
The Ask
Conduct thorough research to understand the root causes of excessive food waste among students at The Commons cafeteria. Identify key factors contributing to the 27-53% waste rate and provide insights that can inform strategies to reduce the 2,980 pounds of annual food waste, potentially saving up to $300,000 per year.
The Approach
  • Secondary Research: Review of existing literature on campus food waste and Analysis of best practices in food waste reduction
  • Primary Research:
    a. Observational Studies: Direct observation of student behavior in The Commons and Documentation of food selection, consumption, and disposal patterns
    b. Contextual Inquiry: On-site interviews with students during meal times as well as Understanding decision-making processes in real-time
    c. Elicitation Techniques: Prompted discussions to uncover underlying attitudes and motivations
    d. Stakeholder Interviews: In-depth interviews with students and Discussions with Chartwells operations team members
    e. Card Sorting: Categorization exercises to understand student perceptions of food options
    f. Resonance Testing: Validation of preliminary findings with participants
  • Data Analysis and Synthesis: Coding of qualitative data in Excel, Identification of key themes and patterns and Generation of actionable insights
  • Strategic Recommendations: Development of data-driven strategies to reduce food waste. We prioritised recommendations based on potential impact and feasibility. Creation of an implementation roadmap for Chartwells
The Approach
Learnings & Insights
The negative student experience
The key takeaway is understanding that students leave The Commons less and less excited about their experience with food; creating a situation where coming in to eat at the Commons is more than likely performative and essential rather than enjoyable.
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Key insights from the research
Our research revealed 4 key insights into student experiences in The commons, behaviours and mental models leading to significant waste in food.
  1. Students display a huge bias-blind spot when it comes to food waste
  2. A key driver of food waste is Sampling
  3. There is a lack of awareness of current food waste initiatives and strategies
  4. Conversations around food waste brings up feelings of guilt
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