Reduce Household Food Waste Research Articles

Which behaviours matter? Prioritising food waste reduction behaviours for targeted policy and program approaches

More than half of the waste in the global food system's consumption stage comes from households, which therefore represent a critical entry point to tackle this challenge with its combined social, economic, and environmental impacts. Yet there is a tension for policy makers between promoting food waste reduction behaviours to householders and overloading them with too many options that make them less likely to engage. This study utilises an Impact-Likelihood methodology to identify the range of behaviours associated with household food waste reduction and to group them according to their impact and likelihood of adoption, as well as their current adoption rates. Scores for these measures were generated using data from an expert elicitation survey of food waste policy makers and practitioners, as well as a large-scale householder survey. The Impact-Likelihood matrix for household food waste reduction behaviours generated in this study identifies potential priority behaviours that are both impactful in tackling the substantive challenge of food waste and have a high likelihood of uptake by householders. As such, the matrix provides strategic research and decision support for policy makers in prioritising specific behaviours for more targeted engagement with householders in different geographical or jurisdictional contexts.

Analyzing the food waste reduction intentions of UK households. A Value-Attitude-Behavior (VAB) theory perspective

Food waste is a complex and pervasive issue associated with growing corporate, political and public concerns. Addressing the issue of food waste is essential to achieve sustainable development. This study utilises the value–attitude–behaviour hierarchy to examine UK household consumers' food waste reduction intentions. The research model hypothesises a positive relationship between consumers' perceived values (hedonic value and sense of community), attitudes (anticipated guilt, social norms and attitude to reduce food waste), and household food waste reduction intentions. We collected data from 513 UK households via a survey questionnaire. The results confirmed that consumers' perceived values positively affect their attitude toward reducing food waste. We also found that attitude to reduce food waste is significantly associated with food waste reduction intentions. Furthermore, the control variables, age and gender, are significantly associated with social norms. However, the results revealed that a sense of community is not significantly associated with an attitude toward reducing food waste. The study findings offer useful insights for academics, marketers, policymakers and governments seeking to mitigate the adverse effects of food waste.

Less Is More: Preventing Household Food Waste through an Integrated Mobile Application

This paper proposes an intervention using personal Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to help consumers reduce household food waste. Across the global food-supply chain, about one-third of all edible food is lost or wasted each year, and this issue is particularly pressing in in the Global North. We present a detailed overview of consumer activity in relation to household food waste using the Multilayered Installation Design Approach (MID). We trace consumer activity along the acquisition, storage, consumption, and disposal stages and provide a comprehensive set of recommendations on how to use personal ICTs to reduce household food waste rooted in the extant empirical literature. We then develop a concept for an application that integrates the full suite of potential avenues for intervention in one place.

ANTECEDENTS AND BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD WASTE PRACTICES AMONG LOWER-MIDDLE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IN MALAYSIA

Given the significant amount of food waste generated by households, reducing household food waste is critical to mitigating overall food waste and providing multifaceted benefits for humans and the environment. This study attempts to identify antecedents of food waste among lower-middle-class families in the Malaysian household setting and their barriers to sustainable food waste practices. Fifteen individuals from lower-middleclass Malaysian households were selected by convenience and snowball sampling and were interviewed using semi-structured questions. Four categories of food waste antecedents were identified (over-preparing, over-buying, dietary transition, and improper storage). The findings also led to the development of four themes that defined the barriers participants faced to minimising food waste (inadequate regulations and policy, lack of time, lack of education and awareness on food wastage, and lack of appropriate facilities). The findings from this study have important sociocultural implications for future studies, and they also add to our current understanding and application of how to reduce food waste in Malaysian households. More study is needed to find ways to test new ideas and interventions that could reduce household food waste, especially in Malaysia.

Will healthy diets increase household food waste?

With rapid changes in Chinese society, people’s health awareness is also increasing fast, and diets have transitioned from the pursuit of “filling up” to “being well-fed” to today’s “eating reasonably and healthily.” How does this change in healthy diet awareness affect household food waste? Based on a theoretical analysis of the relationship between healthy eating awareness and household food waste, this study uses data from the China Health and Nutritional Survey (CHNS) to further investigate the issue. This study is the first to view household food waste from the perspective of healthy diet awareness and propose a theoretical framework of the effects of healthy diet awareness. The results show that greater awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet can significantly reduce household food waste. Household size, family population structure, income, and the employment status of the household’s main female member are important explanatory variables. We believe government support for advocating and publicizing healthy diets will help reduce household food waste.

Drivers of divergent industry and consumer food waste behaviors: The case of reclosable and resealable packaging

Optimizing packaging to align with consumers' food management needs can improve packaging's potential to reduce household food waste, important for a sustainable food system. This paper provides actionable insights to support the food/beverage–packaging industry, policymakers, and researchers to better understand the factors impeding industry implementation of packaging aligned to consumer needs and the potential flow-on effects on household food waste. To facilitate understanding, a consumer-industry grounded model is presented based in the Australian context, developed through qualitative research using the Gioia method to examine reclosable/resealable packaging, food storage, and household food waste.The results indicate that divergent packaging priorities and needs in industry and consumers impede food waste reduction. Industry concerns for business viability mean prioritizing features to sell products, hence consumer needs are secondary. Consumer needs are framed by individual task goals for managing food storage and the availability of supporting resources, including appropriate packaging. Suggestions to help align consumer and industry priorities include increased industry–consumer communication to better help industry understand consumer needs and validating product-packaging with consumers.

It is just wrong: Moral foundations and food waste

Household food waste is one of the major obstacles to meeting global emission targets. Yet, it seems that we still do not fully understand why some people are more driven than others in their engagement to reduce household food waste. Here, we take a new perspective and examine (a) the perceived morality of food waste as a driver for food waste behavior and (b) whether interventions that associate food waste with either the moral foundation of harm or disgust can increase both intentions to reduce food waste and to engage more in future meal planning. Across two study phases (N = 698 and 446; respectively), we found support for our hypothesis that the belief that food waste is morally wrong is negatively associated with self-reported food waste. Moreover, we found that a harm manipulation, relative to a disgust manipulation and a control condition, increased participants’ intention to reduce food waste and future meal planning intentions via food waste moral judgment, but only for those individuals who were at mean or higher values on the care foundation. A disgust manipulation, in contrast, compared to a harm manipulation, directly elicited stronger intentions to reduce food waste and to plan meals, but again only for those who endorsed the associated purity foundation. Our findings suggest different cognitive mechanisms for individuals who ground their morality in the care and the purity foundations and thus have several implications for practice and future research.

Do culture and consciousness matter? A study on motivational drivers of household food waste reduction in Turkey

Food waste reduction has taken a remarkable place in the objectives of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and it has been considered a relevant topic by scholars, companies, and governmental organizations. This study aims to design and compare two competing models describing the influence of personally (consciousness) and socially (culture) determined factors on consumers' intention to reduce household food waste in Turkey. To do so, a cross-sectional study was conducted in three metropolitan cities of Turkey: Ankara, Izmir, and Adana. The primary data were collected from 710 individuals via face–to–face interviews and analyzed through two Structural Equation Models (SEM) based on the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability theoretical framework. Results from the SEM model investigating the role of cultural factors identify motivation as a significant driver of food waste reduction, which is directly influenced by religiosity, media effects, and good provider identity. Results from the SEM model related to consumer consciousness also show that motivation is a significant and robust driver of intention and that economic consciousness has a strong effect on motivation, while environmental consciousness has a weak influence on intention to reduce food waste. Findings of this study increase the knowledge of consumers' drivers to reduce food waste in an emerging country as Turkey and provide policymakers and practitioners insights to elaborate interventions to reduce household food waste tailored on consumers' cultural and consciousness factors.

Examining consumer food waste through grocery retailers' customer data: Segments and practical implications

AbstractGrocery retailers have a large amount of societally relevant data on food purchases in their databases, which they have traditionally used merely for marketing purposes. However, despite the potential, the data have so far been rarely used in sustainability‐related research. This study addresses a key sustainability challenge—the reduction of food waste—by using retailers' customer data and a questionnaire. This paper's purpose is to identify and analyse household food waste segments and discuss their actual purchasing behaviour patterns. By doing so, we also illustrate and exemplify the potential use of customer loyalty card data to address global challenges related to food at the consumer level. The study utilizes an extensive data set of food purchases together with a survey of self‐reported reasons for food waste in households. Utilizing cluster analysis, Phase 1 identifies six household segments: no food waste; trust in date labels; safety first; occasional wasters; overpurchasers and overpreparers; and family first. These segments differ in their sociodemographic and purchase profiles. In Phase 2, these segments' purchasing behaviour is examined further by applying tree‐based methods. This study contributes to food waste research and studies on sustainable retailing. It also has practical implications for how retailers can facilitate household food waste reduction.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Theory application in food waste behaviour programs: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT Food waste is a significant environmental, economic, and social issue contributing to global warming. The benefits of theoretically informed programs have been verified in psychology, social science, and education, yet our understanding of theory application in food waste behaviour change is scarce. To understand how food waste can be reduced, we need to understand what works, when, where and why. Assessing the extent of theory use in the context of food waste behaviour is needed to advance progress. Following the approach employed in Willmott et al. (2019) this study sought to assess the extent of theory application in studies aiming to reduce household food waste. A systematic search and review of published studies concerning household food waste behaviour was conducted. Of 3,532 studies, nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Eight studies mentioned a theory, however, the association between program strategies implemented and the theory base reported was lacking. This review concludes there is considerable room for improvement in theory reporting to indicate clearly how theory is applied to reduce household food waste behaviour.

The Need for Consumer-Focused Household Food Waste Reduction Policies Using Dietary Patterns and Socioeconomic Status as Predictors: A Study on Wheat Bread Waste in Shiraz, Iran.

Current household food waste (HFW) reduction plans usually focus on raising consumer awareness, which is essential but insufficient because HFW is predominantly attributed to unconscious behavioral factors that vary across consumer groups. Therefore, identifying such factors is crucial for predicting HFW levels and establishing effective plans. This study explored the role of dietary patterns (DP) and socioeconomic status (SES) as predictors of HBW using linear and non-linear regression models. Questionnaire interviews were performed in 419 households in Shiraz during 2019. A multilayer sampling procedure including stratification, clustering, and systematic sampling was used. Three main DPs, i.e., unhealthy, Mediterranean, and traditional, were identified using a food frequency questionnaire. Results indicated that a one-unit rise in the household’s unhealthy DP score was associated with an average increase in HBW of 0.40%. Similarly, a one-unit increase in the unhealthy DP score and the SES score increased the relative likelihood of bread waste occurrence by 25.6% and 14.5%, respectively. The comparison of findings revealed inconsistencies in HFW data, and therefore the necessity of studying HFW links to factors such as diet and SES. Further investigations that explore HFW associations with household characteristics and behavioral factors will help establish contextual and effective consumer-focused plans.

The Proof Is in the Pudding: Using a Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Long-Term Effectiveness of a Household Food Waste Reduction Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To halve per capita global food waste by 2030, policies and programs that effectively reduce household food waste generation are needed. Building upon a previous randomized controlled trial, this study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of the “Reduce Food Waste, Save Money” household food waste reduction intervention by comparing direct measurements of household food waste generated by treatment (n = 47) and control households (n = 52) over three time periods. The results indicate that there has been a long-term, sustained 30% reduction of avoidable food waste sent to landfill by treatment households following the implementation of this intervention. Additionally, this study assessed the impact of pandemic circumstances on the quantity and composition of household food waste by comparing direct measurements of food waste generated by the same households before (October 2017) and during (June 2020) the COVID-19 pandemic. During the first wave of the pandemic in Ontario, Canada, study households (n = 99) sent 2.98 kg of food waste to landfill per week, of which 54% was classified as avoidable food waste, and the remaining 46% as unavoidable food waste. During the pandemic, the generation of unavoidable food waste significantly increased by 65% (p < 0.01). There were also significant changes to the composition of wasted food, including a 78% increase in avoidable fruit and vegetables (p < 0.01), a 228% increase in avoidable other food (p < 0.01), and an 84% increase in unavoidable other food (p = 0.02).

Identifying interventions to reduce household food waste based on food categories

Household food waste is a global problem that is often tackled by focusing on key behaviours leading to overall food waste. An important entry point to develop interventions is to understand food category-specific behavioural links to household food waste. However, there is a limited focus on this approach in the food waste literature. This paper examines various behavioural drivers influencing the wastage of six specific food categories - fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat and seafood, bakery, frozen foods, and packaged and pantry food. Using a large representative sample (n = 5272) and Tobit regression methods, it analyses the wastage of each food category and associated behavioural factors including food storing, shopping, disposal and food labelling. We find that the households’ perceptions on the safe consumption of food after the best before date has a significant negative association with all food waste categories. Fruit and vegetable waste is by far the largest food waste category in terms of food waste amount. Results also reveal that overprovisioning leads to more food waste in fruits and vegetables, dairy and frozen foods. Households’ preference to consume freshest possible food also results in more bread and bakery waste, and packaged and pantry food waste, than other food categories investigated. Food storage interventions offer the most promising entry point for reducing waste in the food categories analysed. The findings are useful when devising and prioritising food category based behavioural intervention strategies to reduce household food waste.

P004 Strategies and Unmet Needs to Reduce Household Food Waste Reported by Self-identified Food Conservers

<h3>Background</h3> In the United States, about 30% of edible food produced is wasted, and 20% is wasted at the consumer level. Yet, an estimated 35% of Americans "put a lot of effort" into wasted food reduction, suggesting an opportunity to learn from these food conservers through positive deviance inquiry. <h3>Objective</h3> The purpose of the study was to identify food conservation practices, psychosocial drivers, and unmet waste mitigation needs of self-identified food conservers. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> Adult, self-identified food conservers were recruited online and screened for criteria of age and food procurement/preparation responsibility. Eligible participants completed a 90-minute virtual focus group and survey consisting of previously validated questions assessing household food waste amounts, behaviors and attitudes. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Verbatim focus group transcripts were dual coded and thematically analyzed using a hybrid inductive-deductive approach. <h3>Results</h3> A total of n = 27 participants completed the questionnaire and one of six focus groups consisting of 3-6 participants each. The majority of the participants were White (48%) or Asian (41%), female (67%), had a college degree (74%), had on average 2.6 members in their residence, and made above the US median household income (56%). Reported strategies to reduce food waste included meal planning, creating and adhering to shopping lists, food inventory management, anti-depth organization of food storage spaces to promote maximum visibility, meal prepping, cooking meals in the home and repurposing leftovers. Participants reported intentions to avoid waste, confidence in their ability to reduce waste, and personal and subjective norms that encourage mitigation efforts. Participants reported needing assistance determining optimal produce storage methods and desired opportunities to learn from other food conservers. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Self-identified food conservers reported a variety of household food waste mitigation strategies, which could be leveraged to positively influence other households. While these findings suggest relatively high food literacy among self-identified food conservers, addressing their unmet needs may improve waste mitigation. <h3>Funding</h3> USDA; UIUC Division of Nutritional Sciences Vision 20/20

The effect of dietary awareness on household food waste.

How to reduce household food waste has emerged as an important issue worldwide. Considering the potential endogeneity issue, the present study utilizes the treatment effects model to analyse the effect of dietary awareness on household food waste using data from China. The results showed that improving dietary awareness could significantly increase household food waste overall. However, this impact is heterogeneous among households of different characteristics. Improving dietary awareness leads to more food waste for households with young and old food decision-makers, but contributes to less food waste for households of middle-aged makers. Also, the positive effect of dietary awareness on household food waste weakens as income increases. These findings propose a new perspective to understand the heterogeneity in household food waste in the context of dietary awareness promotion.