Consumer Food Waste Research Articles

Is it godly to waste food? How understanding consumers' religion can help reduce consumer food waste

AbstractFood waste is a problem worldwide, but solutions have yet to adequately incorporate consumers' core values—values which are often rooted in religion. Study 1 shows that restrictive religious norms (e.g., rules about food consumption, fasting) lead to greater food waste, whereas supportive religious norms (e.g., sharing food) lead to reduced food waste. Study 2 replicates prior findings and rules out competing explanations. Study 3 manipulates marketing messaging to show that consumers with higher (lower) levels of religiosity are more likely to reduce food waste with a prevention (promotion) framed message partnered with environmental reasoning or a promotion (prevention) framed message partnered with people‐based reasoning. Implications for marketers, consumer advocacy groups, and policy makers desiring to reduce food waste are provided.

Selection, intake, and plate waste patterns of leftover food items among U.S. consumers: A pilot study.

Many campaigns promote the preservation and consumption of leftover food items as a critical household strategy to accomplish national consumer food waste reduction goals. We fill a gap in knowledge about the consumption and creation of leftovers in the United States by analyzing data from a pilot study in which 18 subjects tracked food selection, intake, and plate waste across all eating occasions for about one week. Subjects noted which items selected for consumption were leftovers, i.e., previously prepared but uneaten items that were stored for future consumption, and which unfinished items were saved to become leftovers. We found that 12% of items selected for consumption were leftovers while 24% of selected items that were not fully consumed were kept to become a leftover. Leftovers were most frequently vegetables, cheeses, and meats, and most frequently selected on Mondays and for lunch. Regression analyses isolate significant dining patterns with respect to leftovers, including evidence that leftovers were less likely to be fully consumed than non-leftover items, and that larger meals led to more uneaten food. This suggests that strategies to reduce meal size may be most effective in reducing food waste by limiting the creation of leftovers in the first place. Strategies to make leftovers more attractive and appealing may also reduce food waste.

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

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.

Understanding the Effect of Dining and Motivational Factors on Out-Of-Home Consumer Food Waste

Approximately 12% of total food waste is generated at the hospitality and food service level. Previous research has focused on kitchen and storeroom operations; however, 34% of food waste in the sector is uneaten food on consumers’ plates, known as “plate waste”. The effect of situational dining factors and motivational factors on plate waste was analysed in a survey of 1001 New Zealand consumers. A statistically significantly greater proportion (p < 0.05) of participants reported plate waste if the meal was more expensive, longer in duration or at dinnertime. Irrespective of age or gender, saving money was the most important motivating factor, followed by saving hungry people, saving the planet and, lastly, preventing guilt. Successful food waste reduction campaigns will frame reduction as a cost-saving measure. As awareness of the environmental and social costs of food waste builds, multifactorial campaigns appealing to economic, environmental and social motivators will be most effective.

The household wasteful behaviour framework: A systematic review of consumer food waste

Every year one third of the food produced globally is either lost or wasted along the food supply chain (FSC) causing significant economic, environmental and social damages. In the developed countries household food waste is a major concern, which is manly triggered by poor food-related behaviour. Due to the importance and magnitude of the phenomenon, the UN has set the global goal of halving food loss and waste by 2030. However, to the best of our knowledge, to date no systematic literature review has been conducted on household food waste and little comprehensive explanation has yet been offered for wasteful household behaviour. Therefore, the aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review of the literature produced over an eighteen-year period (2000–2018) in order to gain a deeper understanding of multiple, complex facets of the food waste phenomenon at consumer level. Drawing on the results of the systematic literature review and of the behavioural and marketing theories, we propose a new theoretical framework “The Household Wasteful Behaviour Framework”, with the aim of better explaining food waste behaviour at household level. Results can be useful to better target social norm and educational campaigns both at private and public level.

Consumer Food Waste Behavior among Emerging Adults: Evidence from China.

With the aggravation of global climate change, the issue of environmental protection has become the focus of global attention, and countries all over the world have devoted themselves to the sustainable development of resources to reduce the negative impact of the environment on human society. Reducing the resource waste is an important aspect of the sustainable development, among which food waste is a critical part. According to a report of the United Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 35% of food is wasted during consumption. Although households are the main contributors to food waste during consumption, the situation in university canteens cannot be ignored. As universities have a high degree of social influence, some policies and activities are piloted in universities, and then, promoted to society after achieving significant results. In future social development, the food waste behavior of consumers at the early stage of adulthood will have a significant impact on society. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the factors that lead to food waste by early adulthood consumers. This study focuses on food waste by end consumers and explores factors in the food waste behavior of the emerging adulthood consumer, which can be used as a reference for improving food waste in schools, governments, and other related industries in the future. The results show that the model of factors influencing the food waste behavior of emerging adulthood consumers established in this study is acceptable. According to the analysis results of the structural equation modeling (SEM), it can be seen that the influences of environmental concerns on the attitude toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are ranked first, second, and third, respectively. While emerging adulthood consumers have a high degree of independence and self-awareness, schools, governments, media networks, and other related industries also need to establish a more complete system and form of cherishing food, in order to encourage emerging adulthood consumers to change their behavior and attitude spontaneously.

FEED - Modeling the relationship between education and food waste

Abstract As formed by humans, which are living creatures full of contradictions, our society is characterized as well by lots of paradoxes. One could say that it has never been so wealthy and educated, while others would declare themselves as being grateful for a simple glass of water or a slice of bread, as the world wide abundance of goods and opportunities is counterpointed by deep scarcity, sometimes not too far from the sources of waste. Therefore, quite large amounts of edible food that could have been consumed end up in landfills, thus contributing to environmental pollution and social disparities. Despite many studies conducted in order to better understand the causes of this phenomenon, and although at the EU and UN level some actions were taken in order to reduce consumer food waste, the topic still remains open and it lacks a clear and impactful approach. In this light, we made use of the results of previous studies, and we built the causal model, FEED, based on system dynamics, with the aim to explore the impact of the evolution of educational attainment on the aggregate of household food waste. We then translated the model into the tenet of the dynamic simulation software, TRUE. There was no reinforcing loop displayed by FEED causal loop version, fact aligned with the evolution of our goal-variable when the simulation of the model was run, a result that make us to suspect the possibility of reducing food waste in the foreseeable future.

Identifying the links between consumer food waste, nutrition, and environmental sustainability: a narrative review.

Emerging research demonstrates unexpected relationships between food waste, nutrition, and environmental sustainability that should be considered when developing waste reduction strategies. In this narrative review, we synthesize these linkages and the evidence related to drivers of food waste and reduction strategies at the consumer level in the United States. Higher diet quality is associated with greater food waste, which results in significant quantities of wasted resources (e.g., energy, fertilizer) and greenhouse gas emissions. Food waste also represents waste of micronutrients that could otherwise theoretically fill nutritional gaps for millions of people. To make progress on these multiple fronts simultaneously, nutrition professionals must expand beyond their traditional purview, into more interdisciplinary arenas that make connections with food waste and environmental sustainability.

More research less waste

More research less waste

Food waste concerns, eating behaviour and body weight

Consumer food waste is now a significant social issue. However, given that the modern day food environment has become characterised by larger portion sizes of more energy-dense foods, personal concerns about wasting food may result in eating behaviours that promote excess energy intake and weight gain. Across 3 studies, we developed a brief (5-item) measure to quantify concerns about food waste and examined the relationships between food waste concerns, eating behaviour and body weight. In Study 1, we showed that our 5-item measure of food waste concerns has acceptable convergent and divergent validity, and test-retest reliability. We also found that concerns about wasting food were predictive of greater behavioural intentions to avoid food waste (e.g. eating leftovers). In Study 2, greater food waste concerns were associated with an increased tendency to plate-clear when eating (self-reported), but not with objectively measured body weight or likelihood of having overweight or obesity. In Study 3, we examined how much food participants consumed when served a large portion size of a lunchtime meal and found that food waste concerns did not directly or indirectly predict how much participants ate. Overall, we found evidence that concerns about food waste are related to self-reported intentions to minimize food waste and plate-clearing tendencies, but no evidence that food waste concerns are related to objectively measured energy intake in the laboratory or body weight.

Consumer knowledge and behaviors regarding food date labels and food waste

Food date labels are commonly used by the food industry despite not being well understood by consumers. Consumers may mistakenly believe that food label dates are meant to convey information about a food's safety, but in many instances label dates are set by the food producer to indicate quality or freshness. Label date confusion may, therefore, contribute to household food waste, a growing social, economic, and environmental problem. Limited research has examined the impact food date labels may have on consumer food waste. The objective of this research was to determine consumer knowledge regarding three common food date labels and their meanings, and whether knowledge was related to food waste behaviors. An online survey of 1042 adults in the U.S. determined their use and knowledge of food date labels as well as their propensity to waste food as defined by disposing of food which would likely still be safe for consumption. The majority of respondents (81.6%) reported using food date labels. Only 57.4%, however, correctly identified what “best by, use by” meant, while 68.1% and 79.7% correctly identified the definitions of “expiration date” and “sell by date”, respectively. Respondents who correctly defined “best buy, use by” were less likely to throw food away if it had passed its “use by” date or was a shelf stable food without a visible date and were more likely to identify the “expiration date” as the only reason to throw away a food. The findings indicate that consumer education around the least understood food date label, “best by, use by” may help to reduce consumer food waste.

Action-related information trumps system information: Influencing consumers’ intention to reduce food waste

In order to substantially reduce food waste at the household level, it is essential to change consumer behavior. Informing consumers about the food waste issue is a promising means of bringing about behavior change: research confirms that information can increase food waste reduction behavior. However, it has yet to be determined what kind of information is most effective and exactly how that information affects consumer food waste behavior. This study compares the effects of system vs. action-related information (i.e., knowing what impacts specific actions entail vs. knowing how specific actions can help to accomplish a goal) on behavioral intention towards food waste. That is, the study focuses on the effect of information on the role of food waste in the food system versus information on actions that can be taken to avoid it. Moreover, an adapted model of the Theory of Planned Behavior is used to assess how these information effects are mediated by consumers’ attitude, norms, and perceived behavioral control. Results from an online experiment with a between-subjects design (N = 2248) show that action-related information significantly increases respondents’ intention to reduce food waste while system information has no significant effect. The change in behavioral intention in the action-related information group is ascribed to greater personal norm activation, more favorable attitudes towards food waste reduction, and higher perceived behavioral control of food waste behaviors. Even though system information does not significantly increase intention to reduce food waste, it results in more favorable attitudes towards food waste reduction. The findings provide insights for policy makers and NGOs on what type of information to consider when designing effective food waste reduction campaigns targeted at consumers, with action-related information supporting the opportunity for consumer behavior change.

The Impact of Eco-Design Packaging on Food Waste Avoidance: A Conceptual Framework

Eco-design packaging is a potential tool to reduce food waste. However, the absence of a theoretical basis regarding the relationships between eco-design packaging and consumer food waste behavior obscures the social impact of this packaging. This study assesses research linking eco-design packaging and food waste avoidance from a consumer perspective. The authors analyze 22 articles in top-tier journals, and conclude that consumer perceptions of eco-design packaging could reduce food waste. Results lead to a conceptual model of the mechanism whereby consumer perceptions of eco-design packaging influence food waste avoidance intentions.

Consumers discard a lot more food than widely believed: Estimates of global foodwaste using an energy gap approach andaffluence elasticity of food waste.

This work provides an internationally comparable consumer food waste dataset based on food availability, energy gap and consumer affluence. Such data can be used for constructing meaningful and internationally comparable metrics on food waste, such as those for Sustainable Development Goal 12. The data suggests that consumer food waste follows a linear-log relationship with consumer affluence and starts to emerge when consumers reach a threshold of approximately $6.70/day/capita level of expenditure. These findings also imply that most empirical models overestimate consumption by not accounting for the possibility of food waste in their analysis. The results also show that the most widely cited global estimate of food waste is underestimated by a factor greater than 2 (214 Kcal/day/capita versus 527 Kcal/day/capita). Comparison with estimates of US consumer food waste based on national survey data shows this approach can reasonably reproduce the results without needing extensive data from national surveys.

Tensions and Opportunities: An Activity Theory Perspective on Date and Storage Label Design through a Literature Review and Co-Creation Sessions

On-pack date and storage labeling is one of the direct information carriers used by the food industry to communicate product shelf-life attributes to consumers. However, it is also one of the major factors that contribute to consumer food waste issues. This study aims to systematically understand the existing tensions within the current date and storage labeling system and explore the potential opportunities for design to intervene. First, we conducted a literature review to identify tensions that the consumer encounters in their food edibility assessment system and summarize the corresponding proposal for actions. 12 tensions and 16 proposals for action were identified and further framed according to a conceptual model developed in this study. Following this, the literature findings were refined and grounded in co-creation sessions in consumer workshops and industry practitioner interviews to develop specific labeling-related design implications. The findings indicate the importance of investigating the role that date and storage labeling play from a system level. Furthermore, we suggest that the conceptual model developed in this study can be used not only as a framework that guides researchers to identify and analyze labeling-related food waste problems that each individual consumer encounters, but also as a guideline that assists packaging design practitioners in exploring potential design opportunities to solve the problem from a system perspective.

Food Waste, Healthy Diets, and Environmental Sustainability

Food is wasted at various points in the US food system, but the greatest amount of food waste occurs at the consumer level. Emerging research now shows a connection between consumer food waste, healthy diets, and environmental impacts, with implications for food security and hunger. In the United States, the average consumer wastes nearly 1 lb of food every day—approximately one-quarter of edible food purchased. Those who consume healthier diets waste more food than people who consume diets that are less healthy. This food waste accounts for vast amounts of wasted cropland, irrigation water, fertilizers, pesticides, and energy, as well as greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts. These inefficiencies can reduce agricultural productivity and undermine efforts to feed an expanding global population and reduce food insecurity in the United States and globally. Nutrition professionals can help move consumers toward healthier diets and reduce food waste simultaneously.

Assessing the economic and environmental sustainability of household food waste management in the UK: Current situation and future scenarios

The value embedded in food waste is increasingly being recognised, with the UN targeting a 50% reduction in consumer food waste and the EU recycling of 60% of all household waste, both by 2030. Aiming to provide guidance on the most sustainable food waste utilisation routes, this study evaluates the life cycle environmental and economic sustainability of five plausible scenarios for the year 2030. Focusing on the UK for context, these are compared to the current treatment of food waste as well as to its potential future prevention. The scenarios consider a differing share of four widely-used treatment methods: anaerobic digestion, in-vessel composting, incineration and landfilling. The scenario with the highest anaerobic digestion share that recovers both heat and electricity is the best option for seven out of 19 environmental impacts and the second best for life cycle costs. Upgrading anaerobic digestion biogas to biomethane achieves the lowest global warming potential and life cycle costs. Net-negative global warming potential (savings) can be achieved if the heat from anaerobic digestion and incineration or biomethane are utilised to displace natural gas. Displacing a future electricity mix does not lead to significant global warming potential savings due to the expected grid decarbonisation. However, savings are still achieved for metal depletion and human and terrestrial toxicities as they are higher for decarbonised grid electricity due to the increased share of renewables. A greater share of in-vessel composting leads to higher impacts because of the high electricity consumption. Landfill reduction has an economic advantage for all the scenarios, except for the business-as-usual, with life cycle costs 11–75% lower than for the current situation. While future scenarios improve the overall sustainability compared to the current situation, halving food waste by 2030 can save 15 times more greenhouse gas emissions than the best treatment scenario without waste reduction. Therefore, any commitments to improve the sustainability of food waste treatment must be accompanied by an effective waste prevention strategy. The outcomes of this work can help waste treatment operators and policy makers towards more sustainable food waste management. Although the focus is on UK situation, the overall conclusions and recommendations are applicable to other regions.

Material and visceral engagements with household food waste: Towards opportunities for policy interventions

Current policies and programs to reduce consumer food waste are largely based on changing behaviours rather than addressing the underlying drivers of these behaviours. This article builds on previous structural approaches to understand underlying motivations of food waste-related behaviours. Our findings suggest that efforts to address food waste at the household level must be integrated with broader policies relating to food access and food insecurity, particularly those that seek to address food insecurity at the systems level. We use a visceral-material framework to analyze and interpret data from thirteen households, with seventeen participants, in Ontario, Canada, including interviews, participant observation, and food waste measurements. We demonstrate that a visceral-material framework is useful in highlighting complex drivers of household food waste that are often missed in other studies: Although this work confirms previously identified barriers to reduce household food waste (e.g. identity, food packaging, low food literacy), we also draw out multi-scalar and interacting drivers of food waste, such as differing spatial access to food, and complex relationships with food due to past experiences of food abundance or food insecurity.

A conceptual and empirical framework to analyze the economics of consumer food waste

We develop a microeconomic model to understand food waste of consumers. We capture at-home and away-from home food consumption and distinguish between food purchases and food consumption. We allow the consumer to choose the rate of food waste at home optimally to maximize her utility. We show that consumer purchases can decline or increase with a cut in the rate of consumer waste, depending on the elasticity of food demand. Using the UK data for poultry in 2012, we also show a case where for a price elastic demand food consumption increases with a reduction in the food waste rate, but food purchases (retail sales) increase.

Domestic spaces and beyond: Consumer food waste in the context of shopping and storing routines

AbstractTo significantly reduce the volumes of food currently wasted in industrialized countries, tackling food waste on the household level is paramount. While awareness campaigns and economic incentives are important measures, it is crucial to look beyond individual decision making and scrutinize how contextual factors frame consumer lifestyles in ways that intensify the issue of food going to waste. This paper addresses the role of material contexts—in particular, infrastructures and technologies—in the shaping of food shopping and storing practices and thus consumer food waste. It presents an in‐depth, qualitative study with 24 Austrian households, conducted from November 2016 to February 2017. Data were collected through food waste diaries, semi‐structured interviews and a total of 16 focus group discussions. In line with other studies, we find that food waste is a largely unintended outcome of entangled daily routines revolving around food, such as meal planning, grocery shopping and food storing. The characteristics of food retail infrastructures—in terms of accessibility, density and type—shape these routines and thus potentially influence excess food purchases. Food storing practices as well depend on the characteristics of domestic infrastructures and co‐evolve with technologies used for storing food. Unraveling the interconnectivity between material contexts and household food practices can inform policy, product design and food retail development and thus has implications for reducing consumer food waste.