On the Prevention of Avoidable Food Waste from Domestic Households

Peter Shaw,Ian Williams,Matthew Smith

doi:10.3390/recycling3020024

Abstract

Unconsumed food impacts on the environment via the wasteful use of resources in its production and via its disposal. Householders would ideally only generate food waste that is not considered edible (unavoidable food waste) and the disposal of edible food (avoidable food waste) would be prevented, mitigating both the environmental impacts of food waste and reducing consumers’ wasted expenditure on uneaten food. This study aimed to elucidate if and how householders’ food waste behaviour might be changed via interventions in the form of a leaflet highlighting the impacts of avoidable food waste. The composition of avoidable food waste set out for kerbside collection was assessed in relation to interventions intended to reduce avoidable food waste and in relation to households’ economic status. Two parallel interventions were tested, setting out to householders the impacts of avoidable food waste on (1) the environment, and (2) personal finances. Avoidable food waste set out by affluent and low income households, considered in terms of total weight, life-cycle stage and product group, did not change significantly after delivery of either leaflet. Neither of the interventions tested had a discernible impact on the quantity and composition of avoidable food waste in these terms. We propose that initiatives to reduce food waste may be more successful if focused on positive actions to improve householders’ efficiency in their food use, directed by insight provided by analysis of avoidable food waste within product groups and in relation to life-cycle stage.

Highlights

Food waste is a recognized and global problem
In terms of the total avoidable food waste set out by householders, differences were apparent before and after the interventions; average weekly weight changes ranged from −2% to +42% (Table 3)
There was no evidence of a meaningful response amongst those households monitored (Table 3) to either type of intervention (Table 1) in terms of the total weekly weights of avoidable food waste set out by the householders observed in this study

Summary

Introduction

Food waste is a recognized and global problem. Estimates indicate that a large proportion of the food produced globally for human consumption is not consumed as intended [1,2], and levels of food waste can rise markedly and rapidly [3]. Post-harvest, losses and waste occur throughout the entire food system (e.g., storage, processing, distribution, consumption [8]). The economic costs of food waste to the consumer are considerable [9]; it was estimated that in 2015 food with a retail value of £13 billion was thrown away in the UK alone [10]. The reduction or elimination of food waste could provide economic, Recycling 2018, 3, 24; doi:10.3390/recycling3020024 www.mdpi.com/journal/recycling

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Conclusion