Household Food Waste Research Articles

How risk perception regarding the COVID-19 pandemic affected household food waste: Evidence from Brazil

Food waste is a worldwide problem. One third of the food produced in the world is lost or wasted every year. Most of this waste takes place downstream of the supply chain due to consumer behavior. This issue is expected to increase in both developed and emerging economies. With the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a range of challenges led to changes in consumer behavior. This study explores household food waste behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior. The risk perception regarding the pandemic was integrated into a broader framework, which was analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling. The sample comprises the participation of 452 Brazilian individuals. The results show that all the predictors incorporated in the model were statistically significant. The intention of reducing household food waste during the pandemic was found to be the strongest predictor of food waste behavior. Additionally, the pandemic apparently influenced consumers' perceptions about the control they think they have over food waste. This research has theoretical and managerial implications. From a theoretical perspective, this study identifies key predictors of household food waste by considering a period of health crisis in an emerging country. From a managerial standpoint, this research may provide a learning experience for future similar scenarios. Results may also motivate consumers to look for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle food waste.

What determines dairy household food waste? A case study from the costa rican dairy industry

Household waste represents a big contributor to food waste, especially in higher-income countries. To understand consumer behavior, and therefore food waste, this study addresses food buying and storaging routines, sociodemographic characteristics and intrinsic product characteristics. Food waste has usually been studied in high[1]income countries, especially in Europe and North America. However, this research includes 343 direct interviews with Costa Rican consumers. We constructed a structural equation model using the Theory of planned behavior to understand dairy food waste. Results indicate that the least important determinants of food waste are sociodemographic characteristics, nonetheless, income correlates positively higher waste rates, as expected. Intrinsic characteristics of dairy products were an important determinant of waste; as consumers place more importance on these characteristics, less waste is produced. This is the first study in which food waste includes all of these constructs and that is settled in a developing country. Based on our results and the determinants of food waste, we discuss the political and research implications for household food waste reduction.

Trend rasta cena hrane - faktor u promeni ponašanja konzumenata u pogledu rukovanja otpadnom hranom

This paper aims to determine the influence of food prices in changing behaviour regarding reducing food waste in households. The motive for this research primarily originates from the ongoing global economic tendency of increasing the prices of energy sources which is also a direct factor affecting the prices of food products. Survey data were collected via questionnaires in North Macedonia. A descriptive and empirical presentation interprets the attitudes of different categories of consumers. The research concludes that prices significantly impact awareness of the importance of food. Hence, respondents agree that the amount of food waste in the home is reduced in the last year.

Reducing environmental pressures produced by household food waste: initiatives and policy challenges

Reducing environmental pressures produced by household food waste: initiatives and policy challenges

Research progress and implications of household food waste studies: New contents, new methods and new perspectives

Research progress and implications of household food waste studies: New contents, new methods and new perspectives

Would Demarketing Strategies Rationalize Household Food Waste Consumption?

Would Demarketing Strategies Rationalize Household Food Waste Consumption?

Preliminary Study on Waste Incineration and Electricity Conversion in Macau

Under the rapid development of the city, our city also produces a large amount of garbage, including ordinary household garbage, construction waste, and hazardous waste. Macau is a small area. If the domestic landfill method is adopted, the land area occupied by it will be the same as the land area of the entire Macau Peninsula. Therefore, as early as the mid-1980s, Macau established a waste treatment mode based on incineration and landfill supplementation. Since the waste incineration center’s completion in 1992, it has received three pieces of garbage with international advanced levels. In the treatment line, the exhaust gas reached the current EU emission standards. With the advocacy of the concept of eco-city construction, Macau’s urban waste treatment has also added a number of sustainable development measures, such as waste incineration, the production of fertilizer, and the recycling of household food waste. Based on field investigation and interview research, this study finally puts forward corresponding suggestions for the predicament of waste incineration in Macau.

基于KANO模型的家庭厨余垃圾处理器设计

基于KANO模型的家庭厨余垃圾处理器设计

Effect ofblack soldier fly (Hermetia Illucens)larvae bioconversion duration in processing household organic waste and market waste in Jakarta on the efficiency of the bioconversion process

The organic waste issue in Jakarta must be immediately addressed because it can harm the environment. Jakarta produces organic waste reaching 45.43% of the total waste generation with organic waste reduction of effectiveness only 4,981 tonnes/year (+1%). One solution to process organic waste is to use black soldier fly (BSF) larvae as decomposers of organic matter. The research examined the effect of bioconversion time/duration for household and market waste in Jakarta on bioconversion efficiency. The research was carried out by opening biopon samples each containing 2 kg of organic waste which were given 11.2 g of BSF 7DOL (day of life) larvae, varied with the duration of bioconversion, including 7, 12, 14, 17 and 21 days. The results demonstrated that the optimal time for the bioconversion process for household foodwaste and market waste was 12-14 days. It was based on the value of the bioconversion process efficiency indicator, which achieved the highest score for theEfficiency of Conversion of Digestedfeed(ECD) value on the 12thday and theoverall reduction(D) indicator on the 14thday. The low RGR and WRI values on the 17thand 21stdays also implied that the bioconversion process was not optimal

Household Food Waste Reduction: An Islamic Perspective

One of the most pressing issues confronting humanity today is the increase in food waste (FW). This is a global issue, and Muslim communities are no exception. There are some indicators of the contribution of Muslim communities to this issue. There is an enormous amount of food waste generated during Ramadan. Middle Eastern countries are recognised as some of the world’s highest food wasters. During Ramadan, 30-50 percent of the food prepared in Saudi Arabia is wasted. In Qatar, the percentage was 25 percent and in the United Arab Emirates, it increases to 40 percent. This information raises questions about the value of food to Muslim communities. Islam places the greatest emphasis on the values of food and sets certain guidelines on Muslim behaviour towards food. Wasting food is not allowed in Islam. Thus, this article explores guidance provided by Islam regarding food to reduce food waste. This article is based on literature review of books, journal papers, reports, articles, and other published material.

Knowledge and Application Gap of Rural Women in the field of reducing household food waste in Fayoum Governorate

Knowledge and Application Gap of Rural Women in the field of reducing household food waste in Fayoum Governorate

Tell Me What You Waste and I’ll Tell You Who You Are: An Eight-Country Comparison of Consumers’ Food Waste Habits

Using an original survey conducted in eight countries in 2021 (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, the UK, and the USA), this study explored the relationship between household food waste and dietary habits through a cross-country comparative perspective. In total, 8000 questionnaires were recorded from samples representative of the adult population of each country through an online survey conducted between the 13th and the 24th of August. The questionnaires were developed from the Waste Watcher International Observatory on Food and Sustainability, an international study of the social, behavioral, and lifestyle dynamics behind household food waste. The relationships between the per capita self-reported amount of food waste (expressed in kilocalories) and self-declared dietary habits (traditional, healthy and sustainable, vegetarian, smart, and confused) were estimated using multiple linear regression models. The results showed that smart diets are associated with higher values of food waste in Canada, Spain, the UK, and the USA. Vegetarian diets are associated with lower food waste values in China, Germany, the UK, and the USA, but not in Italy, Russia, and Spain. The share of the population adopting a smart diet was, on average, 2.7% of the sample; therefore, interventions for food waste reduction should focus on these specific types of consumers, who are often associated with larger amounts of food waste.

The dissolution of polysaccharides and amino acids enhanced lactic acid production from household food waste during pretreatment process

A large amount of household food waste (HFW) is produced yearly, resulting in environmental problems and financial burdens. Bio-production of lactic acid (LA), a high value-added platform chemical, from HFW by anaerobic fermentation is a promising way of resource recovery. However, the LA production yield from HFW is low. This paper compared several pretreatment methods (hydrothermal pretreatment, chemical pretreatment, and combined hydrothermal and chemical pretreatment) to improve LA production from HFW. The result showed that the combined pretreatment (alkali-thermal pretreatment at pH 10 and 120 °C) significantly increased the LA production than single hydrothermal and chemical pretreatment. The pretreatment process promoted the dissolution of organics, especially the polysaccharides and amino acids, and further influenced the LA production by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469. Among the amino acids, aspartic acid (Asp), threonine (Thr), glutamic acid (Glu), glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), cystine (Cys), valine (Val), isoleucine (Ile), arginine (Arg), and proline (Pro) significantly correlated with LA concentration.

Spatial-temporal and structural differences in the carbon footprints embedded in households food waste in urban and rural China.

Household food waste (HFW) accounted for about 66% of global food waste's total carbon footprints (CF). Based on China's macro-panel food consumption data, this paper measures the urban-rural and provincial differences in the HFW CF from scale, structure, and temporal-spatial evolution perspectives. The results indicate that HFW and CF continue to grow, and the total CF and per capita HFW in urban households are higher than in rural households. The structural differences between urban and rural HFW CF vary significantly over time and spaces, which reflected that rural households in the southeastern coastal areas have higher per capita HFW CF than urban in 2019. The research results help to clarify the distribution and evolution pattern of HFW CF in China and offer new ideas for the differentiated governance of CF reduction in the food system.

Sustainable Management of Food Waste during COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights into Irrational Food Hoarding among Chinese Citizens.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, food waste caused by excessive hoarding has accounted a large proportion of the total food waste in urban Chinese households, which indicates that reducing food hoarding has become key to managing household food waste. This study therefore explored the behavioral mechanisms underlying excessive food hoarding among citizens. Based on a sample set of 511 respondents surveyed in Beijing, Hefei, and Guiyang in July 2022, a PLS-SEM model was conducted using SmartPLS 3.0 software to simulate the decision-making process of food hoarding. The following results were found. First, among the households with hoarding, 66.37% had some degree of food waste. Second, hoarding preference was the direct predictor of hoarding behavior, which means that hoarding behavior can be effectively controlled by regulating preferences. Third, group influence including homology consistency and social network support, as well as psychological panic, both enhanced citizens' hoarding preference and induced hoarding behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to weaken group influence and try to help citizens overcome panic. Finally, food supply information release can not only alleviate citizens' psychological panic and weaken group influence, but also block the transformation of preference into behavior. The above results are of great importance for the design of management policies for food waste caused by irrational hoarding during the pandemic.

Sustainable choices: The relationship between adherence to the dietary guidelines and food waste behaviors in Italian families.

Food loss and waste are urgent problems to address. Recent estimates highlighted that the highest quantities of waste are generated at the household level and for this reason, the interest in this sector has increased over years. To investigate if there is a connection between consumers' behaviors aiming at reducing food waste and consumers' choices in adopting healthy eating habits, a survey among a sample (n = 2,869) representative of the Italian population was carried out with the use of validated questionnaires. Results demonstrated that the higher the adherence to the Italian dietary guidelines indicator (AIDGI) the higher the score measuring household food waste behaviors (HFWB). In particular, the highest AIDGI corresponds to a preponderance of respondents that was more able to plan the shopping and the use of food (38.9%, p < 0.001), to better evaluate the quantities to cook (40.4%, p < 0.001), to avoid impulsive buying (35.2%, p < 0.01), to have a high knowledge of the food stored (38.4%, p < 0.001), to reuse leftovers (35.4%, p < 0.001), to assess food safety (34.7%, p < 0.001), to plan accurately (34.9%, p < 0.01), to know how to prolong the shelf life of a product (34%, p < 0.05), and to cook creatively (32%, p < 0.01). In addition to that, half of the respondents with the lowest AIDGI score did not receive any education regarding food waste (51.1%, p < 0.001). HFWB indicators globally resulted in scores ranging from 40 to 80% revealing the attention of Italians to food waste issues. Regarding eating habits, in half of the sample (50.4%) a consumption pattern with low adherence to nutritional recommendations was found, in particular among men (34.4%), younger age groups (40%), and people living in large families (42.3%). The overall results provided interesting information that could give input for planning nutrition education actions and identifying targets and topics to be addressed.

Erratum to ‘A review of packaging‐related studies in the context of household food waste: Drivers, solutions and avenues for future research’

Erratum to ‘A review of packaging‐related studies in the context of household food waste: Drivers, solutions and avenues for future research’

Motivating household food waste reduction: Harnessing the power of message context and framing

AbstractHousehold food waste is a major contributor to the total food waste from all sectors globally. Food waste undermines sustainability and reduces the resilience of food systems. The current food waste statistics, especially in high‐income economies, indicate a need to rethink how households can be motivated to reduce food waste. Generally, persuasive messages can be used to create positive behavior change. But there is yet to be explored potential to influence food waste behavior using messages. Thus, this paper employs behavioral insights to assess the effectiveness of message domains, contexts, and composition in encouraging households to reduce food waste. We find that message domains and composition influences the intent to reduce food waste. The odds of motivating food waste reduction are higher using the loss domain framed messages with financial outcomes, and the gain domain framed messages with environmental outcomes. Moreover, composite messages are more likely to encourage household food waste recycling behavior. The paper shows that improving behavioral change messages in terms of message appropriateness and clarity is pivotal to implementing an effective instrument.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed household food management and food waste behavior? A natural experiment using propensity score matching

Household food management behavior changed considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic. A growing body of work has quantified the impact of lockdowns on household food waste. Yet, previous studies used a retrospective study design which undermines the accuracy of the causal effect on household food waste. This paper investigates the causal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on household food management and food waste using a natural experiment approach. Using two large national-scale longitudinal data sets (n = 8157), this study quantifies the impact of COVID-19 on food waste and food behavior of Australian households. Propensity score matching (PSM) was carried out to address potential endogeneity issues and to select control and treatment groups for analysis. Findings reveal that Australian households reduced food waste by 9% on average in 2020 (during COVID-19) compared to the pre-pandemic (2019) level. The use of a grocery list, discount purchases, and ‘just-in-case’ purchases, and food refrigeration have recorded a marked increase during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times. The changes to food management and food discard behavior during the pandemic offer important insights for behavior change campaigns to reduce household food waste. Interventions to sustain good food planning and storage practices and involving food retailers are promising entry points in addressing household food waste. The study also highlights the considerable challenge in achieving SDG 12.3 target by 2030.

Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) Approach for Determining the Effects of the Waste Charging Scheme on Household Food Waste Recycling

This review demonstrates the analytical application of Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework in identifying and evaluating possible outcomes of how the upcoming waste charging scheme could promote collective actions for post-consumption household food waste recycling in Hong Kong. This novel approach enables analysts to examine thoroughly complex collective action situations such as the case in this paper. A comprehensive review was performed on the published government documents and statistics, together with the past scholarly literature pertinent to the case. Previous studies and reports have shown due diligence on the part of the authorities in preparing infrastructure, educational campaigns, and recycling centres for the full implementation of the forthcoming waste charge scheme. Nevertheless, the findings also show the presence of an information gap in the practical aspect of the food waste collection and monitoring system. Some future research areas identified from this review are: how food waste can be collected from households; how illegal waste disposal be monitored; how the recent pandemic shapes households’ valorisation of food waste recycling; and how technological interventions can help optimise the collection efficacy of food waste.