Environmental economics.

Food availability and food waste are signi cant global problems which can be
mitigated through the use of sensor networks. Current methods of monitoring food
waste require manual data collection and are implemented infrequently, providing
imprecise information. The use of sensors to automate food waste measurement
allows constant monitoring, provides a better dataset for analysis, and enables real-
time feedback, which can be used to affect behavioral change in consumers. The
data from such networks can be used to drive ambient displays designed to educate
a target audience, and ultimately reduce the amount of waste generated. We present
WASTE REDUCE, a system for automating the measurement of food waste and
affecting behavioral change. The challenges and results of deploying such a system
are presented. To assess the bene ts of using WASTE REDUCE, two case studies
are conducted. The rst study evaluates three different displays, and the second
reevaluates one of these displays in a separate location. These studies con rm that
the combination of automated monitoring and ambient feedback can reduce food
waste for targeted groups.