My Food Hero: Developing an App Against Food Waste

My Food Hero project was created to meet the needs of two main user groups: supermarket managers and volunteer organizations.
Developing an intuitive system was essential to significantly reduce food waste, improve operational efficiency and sustainability for supermarkets, and support communities in need. Below are the key components of the system:

My Food Hero Store

The platform provides a comprehensive overview of supermarkets' expiring products and donation activities. Through the "My Food Hero Store" app, store operations related to managing expiring products can be streamlined. Additionally, a web-based control panel offers supermarket managers valuable insights on unsold inventory.

Feature for Supermarket Managers

The app simplifies the work of staff responsible for monitoring product expiration dates by enabling them to:

• add new products by scanning barcodes;
• track and manage expiration dates efficiently;
• Decide whether to discount or donate products, thanks to detailed reports.

Finally, the My Food Hero digital showcase allows supermarkets to participate in local solidarity initiatives, facilitating surplus food donations and contributing to the common good while further reducing food waste.

My Food Hero Volunteer

The platform allows each supermarket, with just a tap on the app, to connect with a network of volunteer organizations. Through this system, unsold and soon-to-expire food can be donated to those in need instead of being wasted.
Thanks to a streamlined and well-coordinated management system, donations are tracked and handled at every stage, from product identification to their final distribution to beneficiaries.
Specifically, the volunteer:

1. Receives a donation notification;
2. Reserves a pickup slot;
3. Goes to the supermarket to collect the donation;
4. Confirms the pickup via the app;
5. Finally, verifies the delivery of the products to designated collection points.

The network of solidarity superheroes is made up of different key figures:

• Associations have a detailed overview of volunteer activities, completed deliveries, and the beneficiaries who regularly receive donations, enhancing transparency and operational efficiency.
• Volunteers can easily access available donations and handle deliveries, actively contributing to the community while reducing food waste.
• Beneficiaries can register with one or more associations to receive donations and access the support they need.

Technical Solutions: Drupal 10 & React Native

Archibuzz handled the development of both the mobile apps and the web application, which includes an integrated control panel, using React Native for the former and Drupal 10 for the latter.

Drupal proved to be the best solution, particularly due to its ease of extending functionalities and its ability to integrate seamlessly with the mobile app through REST API services.

The choice of technologies was also driven by maintainability considerations. React Native allows for the use of a single codebase to release applications on both Android and iOS, while Drupal, thanks to its developer community and dedicated Security Team, provides an enterprise-level platform with high security standards.
 

Beyond App Development: The Brand Identity

The visual identity of My Food Hero is inspired by pop art as a reflection on mass culture and the radical shift in consumption patterns.
The logo – a hero with a cape – directly communicates the project's mission: fighting food waste with the spirit of superheroes. This narrative, along with the color palette – green for the volunteer platform and red for the store platform – was integrated into the app development, ensuring a consistent visual experience.