A Randomized Controlled Trial to Address Consumer Food Waste with a Technology-aided Tailored Sustainability Intervention

Abstract

There is growing concern whether pro-environmental behavioral interventions can generate sufficient reductions in carbon emissions to address climate change. While many have suggested enhanced tailoring of interventions to increase effect sizes, and while individual tailoring is common among health interventions, little is known about how individual tailoring may impact effect sizes for pro-environmental behavioral interventions. Using a novel technology-aided delivery and measurement approach, we conduct a randomized controlled trial featuring an individually tailored intervention focused on reducing the amount of food wasted by participants over approximately one week in their normal living conditions. We find large significant effects for the focal area of food wasted during dining (a 79% reduction), a null effect on food wasted over all household stages (preparation, dining and clean outs), and desirable or null effects for critical antecedent (e.g., waste during preparation, continued purchases of fresh produce), concurrent (e.g., food selection and consumption), and attendant behaviors (e.g., waste from storage clean outs, avoiding waste deposits in landfills).