In this diagram we take "business as usual" as "single-use take-out containers" comparing to implementation of a container re-use system.
Major considerations towards our proposed system were the cost of the current usage of single-use take-out containers, therefore the service would be cheaper for customers with our proposed method.
Some of the factors that were holding us back were the ease of not carrying a container and conservative thinking.
Because we’re focusing on a city-wide transformation, our proposed project will include wide range of stakeholders from various areas such as corporations, logistics, and government.
As our main stakeholder, we decided to choose “take-out restaurant owners in Toronto that is tired of purchasing take-out containers”.
Roles of a restauranteur would include managing and operating food vending service which involves take-out orders and preparation of food that would go in containers.
Take-out restaurant owners in Toronto that are tired of purchasing take-out containers.
Roles:
Front of house
Customer-facing service
Back of house
Operations (Line Cook)
When it comes to usage of single-use take-out containers, restauranteurs think "if customers had bring their own, both sides would save money, which would also help the environment".
Seems ethical and right in many ways, but they fear putting their businesses and income at risk of losing it by adopting this plan because educating the consumer will be a challenge while hoping the municipal government will support restauranteurs.
We conducted a PESTEL Analysis identifying the following trends in the technological, social and political domains.
Technological
#FOOD2ME The new age of online food ordering-mania
Social
“Up the Green initiatives, but beware of greenwashing!”
Political
Carbon Pricing: The challenge of frontloading the cost of pollution
in the last decade has seen even more prominence under pandemic conditions and will continue.
In 2019, $1.5 billion in meals have been ordered through food delivery apps
Utilize community “togetherness” momentum to build continuous initiatives towards post-pandemic economic recovery
Consumers could also be stockpiling a lot of containers and feel guilty
Technological #FOOD2ME
The new age of online food ordering-mania
in reducing plastic waste and packaging materials.
Alternative packaging for businesses in order to reduce impact on the environment
Adopting sustainable packaging material or no material packaging
Less than 11 % of Canada’s plastics get recycled.
Social
“Up the Green initiatives, but beware of greenwashing!”
to provinces which will affect how municipalities implement their strategies.
The Canadian Federal Government set out a plan in 2018 that extends to its provinces.
There has been opposition in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario, sparking a debate on federalist politics and law-making abilities on legislation at all levels.
Municipalities will have to devise their tactics based on how the upper levels of government decide to roll out their strategy as a whole.
Political
Carbon Pricing
Gain better understanding in:
Here is a hypothetical timeline for the research phase of this project taking approximately 11 to 12 weeks.
Most of these stages take up 2 week blocks, with the testing phase taking 3 weeks plus a possible extra 1-2 weeks for iterative testing between cycles of evaluation and analysis.
Beyond this schedule would be a Phase 2 for usability testing of digital interfaces.
So here's Mr. Lee owner of "The Noodle Bar".
Now, restaurants already operate on slim profit margins which have been made worse by different levels of pandemic shutdowns.
Mind you, his business is continuing to operate on a takeout only basis. Finding savings would ease a bit of the burden.
Mr. Lee is worried about his tight budget to run his restaurant made worse by the SHUTDOWN.
Good that he still can run takeout during shutdown ... but the cost of those containers ...
Unlike some businesses he has continued to operate, being the recipient of the "LOCKDOWN TAKEOUT MANIA" and contributor to the increased TAKEOUT WASTE!
But loss of Dine-In customers has cost him.
The Lockdown Takeout Food Mania has allowed Mr. Lee to stay afloat ...
... but Shutdown of Dine-In has cost him.
Pre-Pandemic Toronto had started the TransformTO climate action strategy to encourage initiative and innovation to combat the effects of climate change.
... among them those to address TAKEOUT FOOD CONTAINER WASTE!
Specifically, with a Bring Your Own Container type of model.
TransformTO climate action strategy spurs development of several initiatives ...
... among them those to address TAKEOUT FOOD CONTAINER WASTE!!
Having been informed of this through his local BIA (Business Improvement Area) Mr. Lee decides to incentivize his customers bringing their own containers for their orders.
He offers a discount which will still allow him to reduce his expenses on takeout containers.
Mr. Lee decides to incentivize the BYOC container idea with his customers.
... it could turn out to be a viable cost-cutting measure.
Customers have expressed their desire to support local business, but also the increased burden of the takeout waste.
And he has seen his patrons willingness to adopt the Bring Your Own Container strategy, with a significant reduction in his container expense.
So not only is he feeling better about contributing to TransformTO but he as well is seeing a TAX DEDUCTION for his support.
Definitely, a business model worth continuing!
Wow! From being a contributor to our waste problem to being part of the solution!
Certainly, feels good to participate in TransformTO and get a TAX DEDUCTION.
Here's Patricia working from home as per her company's current pandemic policies.
She's grateful to be working during these extraordinary restrictions and sees occasional takeout as a way to help combat pandemic/lockdown fatigue.
Seeing that there's a Bring Your Own Container discount at Bruno's her favourite local takeout place is all the incentive she needs.
Patricia is working from home 7 days/wk. Occasional takeout is a nice treat during SHUTDOWN.
... Patricia eyes the flyer from a local restaurant ... it's a place she likes & now with a BYOC discount!
Checking online it looks like she has containers that Bruno's will accept for her takeout order.
Patricia places her order indicating she'll be taking advantage of the BYOC discount.
Checking out the examples of containers she finds some ones she can bring for the takeout discount.
Patricia knows what she wants to order and has the container that should work for it.
Arriving at Bruno's at the indicated food takeout order ETA she gives them her container to use.
Patricia gets and pays for her takeout seeing that she got that BYOC discount.
Patricia walks over to pickup her online takeout order, with the BYOC discount!
She pays for her order and there's the BYOC discount. Feeling good about not contributing to takeout waste.
Patricia has got her takeout without TAKEOUT WASTE GUILT!
THE JOY OF LESS TAKEOUT FOOD WASTE!
WHAT A REVELATION!
Wow! Takeout without the TAKEOUT WASTE GUILT!
Less to put in the Blue Bin + the TAX DEDUCTION to look forward to!
