Revolutionizing Food Waste: Reusables – An Innovative Solution for Environmental Sustainability!
Reusables: Turning Food Waste into Environmental Solutions
In April 2023, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, an alarming fact came to light – nearly one-third of the food purchased from supermarkets is wasted when it reaches its “use by” date, contributing to the global problem of food waste and its environmental impact. In response to this pressing issue, the innovative team at de la Cruz Ogilvy, in collaboration with their client SuperMax, developed Reusables – a cutting-edge technology that transforms the concept of “use by” into “use for” the environment.
Using the power of Augmented Reality (A.R.) and computer vision, the team at de la Cruz Ogilvy created a social filter for SuperMax products that have a second use even after their “use by” date has passed. Through image recognition technology and a convolutional neural network, the team was able to identify the products and train the labels using a Machine Learning process, effectively “hacking” the products and showcasing their alternative uses for the planet. Rafael Reina, leader of the Reusables project, stated, “We spent a year developing it to make it easily accessible on all Meta Spark platforms and open source on www.reusables.ai, where it is free to use for everyone.”
The Reusables program not only aims to give a second life to food products but also highlights the potential of reusing packaging materials. What makes this initiative even more groundbreaking is that it is the first time an Instagram filter has been utilized to convey a message and educate people about a problem that is not only specific to Puerto Rico, but a global concern.
Carlos Thompson, President of de la Cruz Ogilvy, emphasized the role of technology in identifying valuable resources and proposing innovative solutions. He stated, “Technology was our best ally in the process of identifying a valuable resource. We wanted to propose an innovative solution by leveraging technological innovation. What could be better than identifying something as universal and accessible as a mobile phone? We bet on it and we can see the results in Reusables.”
Jorge Hernández, President of SuperMax, also expressed enthusiasm for this new educational tool as part of their commitment to innovation in serving their customers. He said, “The topic of recycling and reusing materials or products as an alternative to reducing environmental pollution is one that we are very interested in. We are aware that many people don’t have information about the possibilities of reuse for some materials due to a lack of access to high-impact programs. That’s why we are very excited about this new educational tool that is part of our commitment to innovation in serving our customers.”
This marks the beginning of a movement that seeks to involve more brands in this creative solution to address the global issue of food waste and environmental sustainability.
Credits
Client: SuperMax – Website
Agency: de la Cruz Ogilvy
Rafael Reina: CCO
Carlos Thompson: Group President
Nánel Rodríguez: Director of Innovations / ACD
Adriana Álvarez: ACD
Andrés Cifuentes: Head of Digital Art
Gabriel Rodríguez: Director of Technology
Ity Vega: Director of Public Relations
Jacinto Montú: Head of Programming Unicorn
Enrique García Thompson: Jr. Strategic Planner
Cristina Rodríguez: Content Strategist
Mónica Escribano: Digital Connections Executive
Yarelis Pérez: Client Business Director
Eduardo Sánchez: Client Business Manager
Fernando Álvarez: Senior Art Director
Iván Merced: Food Merchandising Manager
Kidany Delgado: Assistant Marketing Manager
Luis Romero: Content Producer
Marirose Acevedo: Head of Investment Media & Corporate Strategy
Amalia Concepción: Media Planner
Charito Head of Integrated Media & Analytics
Luther Media: Post Production
