Inspiration
Everyone has faced those situations where they have originally bought food, stored it, and found it spoiled at the back of the fridge. When our group members did some research and found out just how much food is wasted every year, we wanted to create an app that would solve the food waste problem impacting millions across the country while helping the environment as well.
What it does
The No Taste For Waste app will help divert food waste and household food spoilage by updating users on the status of foods they have in their pantry or fridge. With increased knowledge communities have about what they have in their pantries, more food will be saved, and ultimately more food will be put on the tables of those in need. Users can keep track of what food they have in their pantry, and access a variety of simple recipes to help them use food effectively to reduce waste.
How we built it
Our group members used the MIT App Inventor website to create the app and WeVideo to edit our video.
Challenges we ran into
When we first met together as a group, most members didn’t have any previous experience with the MIT App Inventor and had little understanding of Python. As we began the app development process, it took some time to learn how to code in the new interface. Finding a way to store data for our app--how much food the user has, their expiration dates, and category-- was challenging, as several of the storage methods we tried weren’t compatible with our app. We also faced several scheduling conflicts, as all members of our group are involved in extracurriculars that made it hard for us to find a time to work on our app that worked for everyone.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
After we initially created the basic layout of our app, finding an effective way to store the user’s data, such as the amount of food in their pantry and their categories, was a challenge that we eventually overcame. Our group members worked hard to try several different data-storing methods until we figured out the Tiny Database that was available on the MIT App Inventor website. Even with no previous experience with creating apps or using MIT App Inventor, all of our group members were able to create a well-developed app and gain knowledge of some Python and block-based programming.
What we learned
All of our group members came into the Ready Set Go App challenge with very little experience in using the MIT App Inventor or even creating an app in general. Throughout the process of developing and planning our app, group work and effective time management were key in making sure that we got everything done on time. Although we struggled with when to meet and the process of creating our app at first, we learned about storing data using databases, designing and organizing our app, and valuable experience with teamwork and time management.
What's next for No Taste For Waste
We hope to publish our app to the app store so that people across the Triangle area (Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh) can use our app to keep track of their pantries and easily find places to safely compost their leftover food. We are also looking to expand our app's composting locations across North Carolina or wherever the user is accessing the app from.
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