Food Waste, VR for Social Good Project
Sep 30, 2018My first Unity and VR project! It places the user in a game show where they learn about the problem of food waste, and how they can help improve it.
Description
Food waste (edible food going unused) is a big problem in developed countries. As the U.N. puts it “1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, while almost 2 billion people go hungry or undernourished.”. Most of this food is thrown out because it doesn’t look perfect (often called “ugly food”). These practices are not sustainable. We must do better.
The Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP) is an NGO that works with governments and companies to create and put in place more suitable practices. They are one of the many groups helping to reduce needless waste.
This project places the user in a situation where they are confronted by surprising and disturbing facts and imagery. This wakes them up to learning about the problem, including what they can do to improve the situation. It ends with a call to action asking them to petition their local grocery store to accept ugly food.
Resources
This is an educational project, and all resources were either free or are being used under fair use.
Assets
- https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/lectern-3-3d-1149524
- https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/camera-canon-xti-3d-obj/499061
- https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/free-lcd-tv-3d-model/480819
- https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/free-3ds-mode-recessed-floor-light/544033
- https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/free-3ds-model-led-recessed-dani/886668
- https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/eric-rigged-people-3d-1310834
Images
- General food waste
- https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/1879a5793476db03faa74bc89788168a73a717f1/0_0_2200_1467/master/2200.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=0aaff12557618e2449cfa6b124a660fb
- http://i.huffpost.com/gen/4400186/images/o-FOOD-WASTE-facebook.jpg
- https://3c1703fe8d.site.internapcdn.net/newman/gfx/news/hires/2017/engineerstra.jpg
- https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/09/This-Is-Rubbish-EU-food-pic-2.jpg
- https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-spgBiQXoRrQ/T5n0Evozj4I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/Nf1e-m9wRGU/s1600/FoodWaste.jpg
- http://www.biocycle.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/17e.jpg
- https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biocycle.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F01%2F47.jpg&f=1
- https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmoveforhunger.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fpasqual-1-foodwaster.jpg&f=1
- Ugly food ads
- http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/print/2014/11/intermarche_failed_lemon.jpg
- http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/print/2014/11/intermarche-ugly-carrot.jpg
- http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1917768/thumbs/o-INGLORIOUS-FRUITS-facebook.jpg
- https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/ad_169720643.jpg
- https://www.itsnicethat.com/system/files/072014/53cfe0f35c3e3c5296003fa0/images_slice_large/ifv6.jpg
- Donation images
- https://salvos.org.au/image?src=/scribe/sites/noosa/files/Pocket-Canned-Food-Drive-photo.jpg&max=700&preserve
- http://marshallroadpta.org/files/2013/05/IMG_7706.jpg
- https://donatedontdump.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/img_0613.jpg
- http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/files/2015/01/15244531186_b8961c7cc6_k-1125x925.jpg
- https://static1.squarespace.com/static/586d2398579fb3ccd8c1dfe5/t/5877ee93579fb3ecbb5486af/1487972569555/
- Farm waste
- https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/9cc9dae1a0a3007510c04b21a82334dfd182b34b/0_192_5760_3456/master/5760.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=679bceab5fabf406bf70d4a1fc27ce83
- https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/8b1da3526e526e14393ab3863aa8152d020737a1/0_172_5696_3419/master/5696.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=4bb3de6abe9500e4f3a486ebac251e9f
- https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/00c0bc4bae3197d7fa2750d6b82a0cb6575823fb/0_0_5129_3421/master/5129.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=18c10169b06af6a62896cf967f0dc502
- http://www.thefruitcycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/fruit-slide-3.jpg
Information
The below articles and sites were used to put together information in the experience.
- https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/wasted-food-IP.pdf
- https://foodforward.org/2015/10/food-waste-in-america/
- http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-12-responsible-consumption-and-production.html
- http://www.fao.org/sustainable-development-goals/goals/goal-12/en/
- https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-consumption-production/
- https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/sustainableconsumptionandproduction
- https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg12
- https://www.nrdc.org/stories/freeze-more-waste-less
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/13/us-food-waste-ugly-fruit-vegetables-perfect
Audio
All narration was written and voiced by me.
Download
The code is available on GitHub and the Android APK can be downloaded here.