Awareness Of Food Waste Research Articles

Food waste awareness among Italian university students: results of an online survey.

Food waste (FW) represents a significant social and environmental problem, with 1.3 billion tons of food wasted yearly worldwide. Even if consumers are increasingly aware of the phenomenon, it remains relevant, and understanding the behaviors of specific target audience segments appears instrumental to the planning of effective interventions. To this end, we designed an observational study to investigate, throughout an online questionnaire, FW-related habits of university students in a Southern Italian region. A representative sample of 431 students from the University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia completed an online survey aimed at investigate FW related behaviors. A descriptive analysis was performed on the whole cohort, and a formal statistical analysis was carried out after excluding responders who had not correctly followed the survey instructions (n = 85). Differences were assessed by chi square (χ 2) tests. A food wasting score was generated, and differences in the score values were analyzed by Student T-test. Linear and multiple regression analyses were performed to identify factors contributing to the score. Overall, the results of our survey show a high prevalence of virtuous behaviors in the food purchasing phase; while, at home, less than 50% of respondents apply easy-to-implement waste prevention rules. The statistical analysis showed that the major determinants of FW were: no direct involvement in grocery shopping and male gender. Indeed, even if we observed several significant differences comparing subgroups based on established or putative determinants of FW behaviors, none survived matching for group size, gender and relevant food managing (shopping, storing, cooking) habits. The only exception was the more appropriate handling of "use by" products by respondents who received structured nutrition teaching, as opposed to students whose academic courses do not include this subject (adjusted p = 0.008). Our data suggest that young adults are trying to implement strategies to reduce FW, even if there is room for improvement, particularly in the storage phase. Extending nutrition education to all university programs may be helpful in reaching this goal.

Current Perceptions of Sustainable Diets in Ireland and the Outlook of Circular Eating Practices

Encouraging sustainable dietary practices is a positive step towards alleviating the negative impact of increasing food waste. This study explores consumers’ perceptions of sustainable diets and factors influencing their adoption of sustainable practices, such as circular eating. Fifteen consumers in Ireland aged 18–65+ years were recruited for a qualitative study exploring their views on sustainable diets and their opinions on the use of peels, trimmings, and other by-products from fruit and vegetables as potential new ingredients or new circular food products. Age, gender, dietary preferences and educational background were important considerations during recruitment. Online interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis managed by NVivo 12. The results highlighted two overarching themes impacting circular eating, namely, food choice motives and awareness of food waste. These were linked to the participants’ knowledge of and potential adoption of sustainable diets. Daily trade-offs were evident, linked to the product and the person who was also strongly influenced by their micro-environment. Consumer education from credible sources would be required to create awareness of circular eating. Most respondents were positively disposed to the concept of circular eating, as long as food safety concerns and affordability considerations were addressed through industry transparency.

Portion perception and waste awareness: investigating the effects of Augmented Reality menus on over-ordering intentions in various dining settings

ABSTRACT The escalating food waste issue, mainly due to over-ordering in the hospitality sector, needs innovative solutions. This study explores the potential of Augmented Reality (AR) in menu design to influence customer behaviour, an area where existing literature is lacking, especially concerning the impact of different ordering environments. Two experiments were conducted involving 858 participants in Fiji, examining the influence of AR versus picture-based menus on over-ordering. Results revealed that AR menus effectively mediated over-ordering intent through portion size perception and awareness of food waste. AR menus also negatively influenced over-ordering, a relationship stronger in-home than at-restaurant. The study contributes to understanding customer behaviour and food waste in hospitality, comparing AR and picture-based menus’ impacts on portion size perception, food waste awareness, and their variable influence in different environments. The insights are valuable to restaurants, menu designers, AR developers, and food delivery platforms striving to reduce food waste, contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: ‘Responsible Consumption and Production.’

What a waste? An experience in a secondary school in Malaysia of a food waste management system (FWMS)

Food waste (FW) is not just a problem and challenge in Malaysia but world wide. According to a United Nation Environment Program report, approximately 931 million tonnes of food waste was produced globally in 2019. This included 61% from households, 26% from food services and the remaining 13%, from retail. The sheer magnitude of this wastage is very troubling; especially in the fact that there is no firm hope that the scale of the wastage will decrease in the near future. Most studies into food wastage have investigated the broader field of food industries such as food manufacturers, restaurants, food courts and others. This study, however, aimed to investigate FW among end-users who are students in a school, with data being collected from the school canteen. It investigated the amount of food waste before and after awareness of food waste in Malaysia was raised, and how the waste can be converted into cash. The study had four phases: 1) an awareness program for school students, 2) installation of the FW machine, 3) collection of food waste, and finally 4) data analysis. The food waste was collected, transformed into bio-fertilisers and sold to the parents. A total of 339.5 kg of food waste was collected in 38 days and this waste was transformed into 131.5 kg of bio-fertilisers for sale to parents in the same school. This simple FW conversion to bio-fertilisers undertaken in the school as a pilot project shed some light on the potential of the project to be carried out on a larger scale and with commercial interests for all schools in Malaysia. The school generated RM 1315 from the sale of the bio-fertilisers. The potential profits achievable from this conversion of FW to bio-fertilisers will be significant if the pilot study is expanded throughout Malaysia.

Factors Influencing Purchase Intention of Food Surplus through a Food-Sharing Platform

Food waste is a serious issue around the world. One way to address this issue is distributing food surpluses through food-sharing platforms. There are a limited number of empirical studies investigating the drivers of using food surplus-sharing platforms, particularly in developing countries. This paper investigates the impacts and connections between environmental concern, perceived playfulness, social norms, food waste awareness, price consciousness, food neophobia, and purchase intention of food surplus through a food-sharing platform in Thailand. A sample of 284 Yindii users was analyzed by using exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression. Empirical results revealed environmental concern and perceived playfulness to be the primary constructs influencing consumers’ purchase intention toward food surplus. The results suggest that perceived playfulness is the most crucial determinant affecting purchase intention. Our results also indicated people who have obtained a higher education level and the low-income group show a higher purchase intention toward food surplus products. This research is the first attempt to study food surplus redistribution in Thailand. This study contributes to the literature and provides insights for practitioners with several implications.

Segmentation of Hungarian Consumers Based on Circular Economy Values and Awareness of Food Waste

This study aims to detect those segments among the Hungarian food consumers who are aware of the climate risks of their food consumption. In order to achieve this goal, a survey was conducted with the participation of Hungarian university students. Data from 1184 households were collected and used in Factor (Principal Component) and Cluster Analysis. Two very conscious clusters were found; both are highly qualified. One favored waste utilization, asserting that and encouraging most of its members to follow a zero-waste lifestyle. The latter mentioned that cluster members are young, and they are in a good financial situation. The findings of this study may be of interest to policy makers for environmentally responsible food consumption guidance and training for planning consumer awareness programs. Even though several previous studies have addressed the concept of consumer awareness concerning food purchase decisions, only few of them dealt with consumer awareness in the environment and climate domain in food consumption in Hungary, so this research could be considered as filling a gap.

Religious Values of Chefs in Bali and Food Waste Awareness: A Preliminary Study

This study examines the perspectives of chefs in Bali on the influence of religion on their attitudes towards food waste management. This research is the initial research of a project called Environmental habitus of chefs and food waste minimization in restaurant kitchens. Environmental habitus of chefs and food waste minimization in restaurant kitchens itself has two main categories to study, namely Past and Current Period. This study focuses on Past event, which in this case is religious value as one of the other factors such as at home education, out of home education and on the job training. The sample studied was five chefs, and analyzed using a qualitative method approach. The result of this preliminary study is religious value to a greater or lesser extent affect the view of the chefs on their habit regarding to food waste management in kitchen’s restaurant.

HOUSEHOLD FOOD WASTE POLICY: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction: Food waste (FW) is a serious problem and significantly impacts the environment, economy, and social. Globally, the average FW reaches 121 kg/ capita/year, and households are the main contributors to FW. Several countries have implemented various strategies to prevent household FW. This review aims to explore the household FW prevention policies and their potential to be implemented in Indonesia. Discussion: Three strategies have been widely applied worldwide, including economic incentives, regulations, as well as FW awareness and behavior campaigns. In this case, the economic incentives include landfill tax, incineration tax, and Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT). Many laws and regulations have been implemented related to waste management, food, economics, and those regulations are either directly or indirectly related to FW. The awareness and behavior change campaign is the most widely applied strategy to prevent household FW globally. Conclusion: Well-designed policies and regulations supported by education and awareness campaigns are the potential strategies for household food waste reduction and prevention in Indonesia.

Informative initiatives as a useful tool to raise awareness of food waste. An application to higher education

PurposeBecause food waste is a serious problem today, society is currently aiming for more responsible consumption to minimize it, as defined in the 12th goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This study aims to examine whether an informative initiative can help to raise university students’ awareness of food waste consequences.Design/methodology/approachThe initiative consisted of explaining the problem of food waste to students of two marketing subject modules within economics and business administration degrees and asking them to participate in an activity in which they analyzed their own behavior. To assess its impact, two questionnaires about the students’ food waste behaviors were administered, before and after the initiative, adopting an experimental design.FindingsThe results show that the information and awareness activities were successful, because, after the initiative, the students were more aware about the food waste problem and its consequences and were more critical of their behavior regarding the management of leftovers at home.Research limitations/implicationsDespite some circumstances under which the study was conducted (the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown), the practical and social implications are relevant.Practical implicationsThis study offers some interesting practical implications for educational institutions that want to inform and train students in more responsible consumption behavior. It shows that an initiative in which students are involved, like collecting data about food waste, in their homes with a diary, and informative sessions can be useful to increase students’ awareness of food waste to behave in a more sustainable way.Social implicationsThese findings may be of interest to academics for designing initiatives that try to train and educate young people in making more responsible personal and professional decisions.Originality/valueThis study analyzes the impact of an awareness-raising initiative about food waste in higher education, which is a relatively neglected topic in the literature.

Harnessing Augmented Reality for Increasing the Awareness of Food Waste Amongst Dutch Consumers

Food waste is a significant challenge, and our societal behaviours play a role in the amount of food items discarded. Thus, an effective method to inform consumers about high wastage patterns may help reduce the amount thrown away. This research investigates how Augmented Reality can be harnessed to enlighten consumers and work towards addressing high food waste patterns. Yet research on this topic is still very much in its infancy. To pursue this solution, food behaviour data are employed to provide an insight into how much is wasted from 9 catering industry locations in the Netherlands. An Augmented Reality application is developed, where models of food are projected onto real-world environments to provide scale on waste over a 7-day period. A quantitative evaluation of higher-education attendees demonstrated the approach has potential to incentivise reduction in waste.

Reducing Food Waste During COVID-19: Testing Role Model Stories as a Strategy for Promoting Conservation Behaviors

This study investigates how role model stories may inspire food waste reduction during times of perceived food scarcity. We conducted a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment (N = 358, U.S. adults) to test the effectiveness of messages that emphasized role model success (reduced waste/zero-waste) and achievement difficulty (easy/difficult) on intentions to set a personal food waste goal. Exposure to role models who lived a zero-waste lifestyle had a self-deflating effect, as this behavior was viewed as less attainable by participants. Regardless of difficulty framing, exposure to role models who reduced their waste enhanced participants’ perceptions of goal attainability, motivation, and intentions. No interaction effects were found between levels of success and achievement difficulty. Considering covariates, individuals who reported enhanced food waste awareness due to COVID-19 reported higher goal setting intentions. Hence, times of perceived food scarcity may provide an ideal opportunity for promoting food waste reduction and conservation strategies. Results from this study provide guidance for how role model stories can best inspire waste reduction without hindering attainability and motivation. We discuss implications for applying the motivational theory of role modeling in conservation and communication contexts.

Factors affecting food waste awareness in Turkey. The case of Çorum province

Factors affecting food waste awareness in Turkey. The case of Çorum province

Awareness Before and During Pandemic toward Food Waste: “Comparison between Indonesia and Japanese Students”

In recent years, food waste has become a global issue that often becomes the subject of public debate and has already been put into the SDGs programs which are targeted to be realized in 2030. A large amount of food waste is produced in the food service and infrastructure sectors, especially during this pandemic, which makes the foodservice sector difficult. However, this study compares and identifies students’ awareness of food waste in Indonesia and Japan. The data were primarily gathered through a questionnaire with 100 students in each country. This study uses the comparative concept to compare the results of research before and during the pandemic on students. Based on the results, this study discusses the extent to which students are aware of the behavior of leaving food, checking the expiration date, knowledge about food waste. Both Indonesian and Japanese students become more aware of the food waste that occurred.

Investigating consumers' behavioral intentions toward suboptimal produce: an extended theory of planned behavior – a cross-cultural study

PurposeThis study extends the theory of planned behavior (TPB) through the inclusion of motivating variables for suboptimal produce preference (i.e. environmental concern, food waste awareness, and familiarity), and demotivating variables (i.e. health consciousness and risk perception) to investigate behavioral intentions toward suboptimal produce.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research methodology using the online survey technique is employed to collect cross-cultural data from respondents from China (n = 430) and Egypt (n = 441). Structural equation modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS v.3.2.9 is used to analyze data.FindingsThe proposed extended TPB model could enhance predicting consumers' behavioral intentions toward suboptimal produce except for “environmental concern” since it has been found that environmental concern has a nonsignificant effect on consumers' attitudes and behavioral intentions toward suboptimal produce in both countries. The results also reveal that the proposed extended TPB constructs could predict 79.9% of intentions to purchase suboptimal produce and 65.3% of the variance in intentions to recommend such produce for others.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few attempts that investigates the suboptimal food consumption based on a theoretical lens by extending the TPB model. Previous studies on suboptimal food do not pay attention to the demotivating variables such as health consciousness and risk perception, and thus, this thesis represents the first effort that sheds light on such variables. Moreover, prior investigation on such issues in Egypt and China as a cross-cultural research has not existed.

How COVID-19 affects individuals' food consumption behaviour: a consumer survey on attitudes and habits in Turkey

PurposeAfter the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, its devastating effects began to be closely monitored all over the world. The new order that emerged due to the fight against the virus soon began to affect all our habits and behaviours. The fact that food consumption is vital for human well-being makes this an important area to investigate in terms of the impact of COVID-19. This research was carried out to investigate the changes in consumers' food consumption behaviour and habits during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors that explain these changes.Design/methodology/approachIn line with the recommendations for social distancing under pandemic conditions, the empirical data were collected via computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). The participants were 1,023 individuals living in the major cities of the seven regions of Turkey. An ordered probit regression model was used to estimate the attitudes related to the changes in food consumption behaviour and habits, and descriptive statistics are provided to show the current food consumption and purchase situation.FindingsThe results showed that the changes in food consumption behaviour and habits due to the pandemic were related to price increase concerns, stockpiling, awareness of food waste, safety and excessive, food access concerns, natural/organic food preferences and packaging of foods. Moreover, the participants tended to prepare food at home and preferred food that was popular with other consumers. Consumers mainly bought food from discount stores and local grocery stores and consumed fresh vegetables and fruits, animal-based products, cereals and pulses.Originality/valueThe current study contributes to knowledge regarding the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on food consumption behaviour by using a predictive model and provides behavioural estimations by using a countrywide questionnaire. The results show that the pandemic affects food consumption routines and food perspective of consumers in various ways.

My style, my food, my waste! Consumer food waste-related lifestyle segments

Adapting responsible food marketing practices to different customer types can make a valuable contribution to reducing food waste. The current study investigated the relation between food (waste)-related lifestyle patterns and self-reported food waste, choices for suboptimal food, and food waste awareness using a survey with 4214 consumers across five Northern and Western European countries. Results show differences in food wastage, suboptimal choices, and awareness for five clusters of consumers identified on the basis of food (waste)-related lifestyle patterns. Findings of commonalities allow deriving food marketing actions targeted to these different consumer lifestyles.

Evaluation of Determinants of Food Waste in Family Households in the Greater Porto Area Based on Self-Reported Consumption Practices

Despite food waste occurring along the entire food supply chain, a significant proportion occurs in domestic settings. Large quantities of domestic food waste have been attributable to consumer behaviors during buying, cooking, consumption, and disposal. The main objective of this research was to understand the major determinants of household food waste from families in the north of Portugal. A convenience sample was used, which was drawn from households in the Greater Porto Area. Data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire that included three groups of structured questions related to perceived behavior and attitudes towards food consumption, leftover usage, and food waste. Exploratory data analysis was used to identify underlying dimensions. No relationships were found between socio-demographic data and food waste, buying behavior, or destination/use of leftovers. The majority of the participants reported a high level of planning of their grocery shopping. Fruits and vegetables presented the highest frequency of consumption, followed by sources of carbohydrates and sources of proteins. The storage of cooked food from different food groups presented a single factor, grouping the majority of the individual food leftovers, going from fruits and vegetables to sources of carbohydrates and proteins. The reported levels of wastage of the different food products were grouped into three dimensions: waste of vegetables, waste of protein sources, and waste of sources of carbohydrates. Waste of precooked foods emerged as an independent item, and it was the individual item with the highest frequency. The families studied reported a positive attitude concerning buying, consumption, and wastage, revealing a particular awareness of food waste and its social and environmental impact.

How Consumer Behavior in Daily Food Provisioning Affects Food Waste at Household Level in The Netherlands.

Food production and consumption have remarkable negative environmental effects, in particular food waste. Food waste occurs throughout the entire food system, but households make the largest contribution. Reducing unnecessary waste of food represents a crucial step toward overcoming global issues of food waste, hunger, and climate change. Identifying barriers in reducing food waste is important not only to government and policymakers, but also to food producers, retailers, and marketers. Therefore, the objective of this research was to find out how consumer behavior in daily food provisioning affects food waste. An online survey was set up to question Dutch consumers (partly) in charge of the household’s food management. A total of 211 consumers participated in answering questions on household composition, food management behavior (e.g., food purchase planning) and food waste awareness (i.e., concern about wasting food and intention not to waste food). Results show that purchase behavior in-store was the main driver of food waste. Specifically, participants indicated that buying more food than needed often had led to food waste. In addition, intention not to waste food acted as a moderator in the relationship between planning behavior and food waste. Age appears to have a diminishing impact on wasting food.

Environmental Concerns and Food Consumption: What Drives Consumers’ Actions to Reduce Food Waste?

Consumer behavior and food consumption comprise the largest amount of waste in the food chain. This study aimed to identify the relationships among consumer environmental concerns, their awareness of food waste, demographics, and their food consumption. The findings suggest that food waste prevention is positively influenced by consumers' environmentally conscious buying, food waste awareness, bulk buying, frequency of home cooking, and age. Impulsive food purchasing, the frequency of eating out, and the number of people in the household negatively influence food waste prevention. Food policy makers and retailers should be involved in educating and encouraging consumers to minimize food waste.

Consumers’ Awareness and Knowledge about Food Waste in Selangor, Malaysia

Food waste constitutes more than 40% of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Malaysia. However, thesubject is still relatively new for waste avoidance and minimisation incentives. In this study, we strived to unveil themany factors responsible for food waste in homes. There is an extensive discussion in the literature review touchingon almost all the possible areas of the behaviour from both international and local standpoints. We chose Behaviouralanalysis as it can provide methods for recognising the perception, determinants and driving force behind food waste inhouseholds. Understanding the food waste phenomenon through the consumer behaviour is paramount to achieving asustainable future. The literature showed us reasons people have and results from di erent food waste studies presentedaround the globe. The survey-based study guided by the theoretical framework targeted household heads from di erentdiverse locations across Selangor. A total of 105 respondents were issued questionnaires touching on various facets of foodwaste in November 2016. After all due analysis along with mean and standard deviations of awareness and knowledgeabout the quantity of food they waste, it has been concluded that food waste awareness and knowledge are based aroundthe nancial e ects and that many feel those around them waste more food than them. We recommend the need forfurther behavioural studies to fully understand the intention, behaviour and attitudes of consumers to help policy makersmake the right laws with regards to food waste.