Abstract

In order to achieve U.S. food waste reduction goals, changing the behavior of consumers will be essential as ∼50 % of wasted food occurs in residential settings. Segmenting consumers by their food waste patterns can help direct consumer campaigns, however no such analysis has been conducted in the United States. We analyze the food waste attitudes and behaviors of 1086 U.S. consumers who responded to an online survey by using k-means clustering and post-hoc sample weighting to ensure national representativeness. We identify four distinct consumer segments: Conscientious Conservers (22 % of households, 10 % of total food waste generated), Harried Profligates (26 % of households, 38 % of waste), Unrepentant Drink Wasters (21 % of households, 10 % of waste), Guilty Carb Wasters (31 % of households, 33 % of waste). For each segment we identify and discuss the constellation of attitudes, behaviors and characteristics that distinguish them from other groups and then postulate intervention and communication strategies that may prove fruitful for targeting messages in a manner that advance national food waste reduction goals in a cost-effective manner. For example, we recommend targeting campaign resources on the Harried Profligates segment, who report 45 % more wasted food than the sample average yet hold multiple attitudes conducive to supporting food waste reduction so long as the interventions can support this cluster's lack of planning skills in a manner that does not exacerbate the time pressure they report facing in day to day life.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.