A Fall 2019 DLab Case Study
The Food Coalition Design Lab team designed scalable solutions to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic dishware at the Boise Farmers Market.
Single-use plastics represent an unsustainable packaging model and generate large amounts of plastic waste that are detrimental to the environment, which makes this topic an issue of critical importance both globally and locally. The team began their project with empathy and understanding work, recording observations and conducting interviews at the Boise Co-op and Roots Zero Waste Market in order to familiarize themselves with zero-waste and low-waste business models. Next, the team interviewed vendors and representatives from the Farmers Market to better understand their points of view and needs. The team also gathered data on the amount of single-use plastics used by vendors each weekend at the market. At this point in the process, the team created the following How Might We question to help guide the rest of their project: “How might we reduce the amount of single-use plastics distributed by vendors at the Boise Farmers Market, knowing that plastic is cheaper, more convenient, and more reliable than other alternatives?”
After defining their problem, and with inspiration from the model used by the Portland Farmers Market, the students created prototypes for a portable dishwashing system inside of a trailer. Unfortunately, representatives from the Boise Farmers Market ultimately concluded that a dishwashing trailer would not be a viable solution at this time. In order to continue prototyping feasible ideas, the team will be testing a silverware rental system at the Farmers Market in December.
Design Team: Hunter R., Elani W., Christopher C., Josh B., Maddie R.
