Evaluation of Waste in Food Services: A Structural Equation Analysis Using Behavioral and Operational Factors

Abstract

To make the activities of food service companies more sustainable, it is essential to continuously improve their production processes. Understanding which factors are associated with the phenomenon of waste, as well as how they are causally related, is essential for proposing more effective actions to mitigate it. However, the vast majority of studies consider only the analysis of behavioral factors in food waste. To fill this gap, this work evaluates the behavioral and operational dimensions of the phenomenon studied, assessing the implications of the interdependence and causality relations for the respective factors of these dimensions, bringing a broader perspective to the waste problem. The behavioral dimension is developed from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Motivation (MO), Intention (IN), and Waste Behavior (CD)) associated with the operational aspects, which are treated in this study as Opportunity (OP), Ability (HB), and Waste Control and Management (CGD), through the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) using the partial least squares in a public food service establishment. The sample size was calculated using the GPower calculator. The composition of the sample was defined considering (i) public profile; (ii) definition of the number of indicators; and (iii) definition of the power of the statistical test and the effect of exogenous variables (f2). Contact was made by sending an email. A return of 102 respondents was obtained. A minimum value of 86 observations was necessary to achieve a statistical power of 80% to identify R2. Highlighting the participation of some indicators, Situational Factors 36%, Environmental Beliefs 29%, Health Risks 40%, Training 35%, and Technical Skills 42%, have a strong influence on the average variance extracted (AVE) in their constructs. The proposed model showed the importance of alignment between the factors of the behavioral and operational dimensions in view of improvements in production processes and reduction of waste in food service units.