by Sonja Rantala
In this project I look into what grocery stores might look like in the future. The underlying issue is the difficulty of avoiding food waste in a single household (living alone). The properties I look for in a solution are of course no waste, but also freedom and availability for the consumer. That means, I try to think of ways we can maintain spontaneity when shopping for groceries, and not having to plan days ahead.
The main issue regarding food waste is inappropriate packaging size. That is the key issue I focus on when thinking about the alternative scenarios. I present two ideas for future grocery stores. The ideas are two extremes. In store 1 there is no packaging at all and consumers can fill small bags by themselves. The inspiration is in the photos. The pros of this store are in the photos, too.
In store 2, there is only 1-portion packaging, so the amount of materials used would increase compared to the current situation. I look into modular packaging, meaning that a pack could be opened e.g. only halfway. The pros of store 2 are in the photos. The key finding regarding store 2 is that seemingly packaging material is not as large a problem as food waste. By increasing shelf-life with e.g. smart packaging, while also having them optimally sized, we are solving the bigger issue.
