What influences consumer food waste behavior in restaurants? An application of the extended theory of planned behavior

Abstract

Consumer food waste during the consumption stage is usually generated in different settings (at home or out-of-home). Consumer food waste behavior has been the focus of substantial investigation in the search for the mitigation of food waste in households. However, researchers have not treated consumer food waste behavior in restaurants in much detail. This study aims to test an extended Theory of Planned Behavior by including price consciousness and food taste to understand the antecedents of food waste behavior in restaurants. An online survey provided quantitative data from 329 participants. The results showed that (1) the extended TPB model is useful in predicting consumer food waste behavior in restaurants with an improved variance in food waste behavior from 13% to 15%; (2) intention to reduce food waste and perceived behavioral control had a significant negative effect on food waste behavior; (3) food taste exerted a significant positive effect on food waste behavior; (4) attitudes towards food waste, perceived behavioral control and price consciousness positively affected intention to reduce food waste. The current study represents a further step towards understanding consumer food waste behavior in restaurants.