Impact of COVID-19 on food waste behaviour of families: Results from household waste composition audits

Systematic review of factors influencing household food waste behaviour: Applying the theory of planned behaviour

Globally, household food waste alone accounts for about $700 billion in environmental costs owing to the resources expended in producing discarded or uneaten food, along with social costs reaching approximately $900 billion. Reducing this waste by 25% could potentially feed 821 million chronically undernourished individuals. This systematic review examines household food waste behaviour using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Comprehensive searches were conducted in PubMed and EMBASE using Elsevier supplemented by additional articles from the reference lists. The procedure followed the PRISMA flowchart. A descriptive analysis was conducted to summarize the characteristics of the 42 included studies from 17 countries. Significantly, 95% of these articles were published between 1 January 2010 and 19 April 2024, in Scimago Q1 ranked journals. The findings demonstrate an intersection of TPB components in explaining household food waste behaviour. This study suggests that a holistic strategy targeting attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control is essential for effectively reducing household food waste. Additionally, tailored interventions that consider demographic and socioeconomic factors are necessary to address the diverse needs of different populations. The study concludes that public education targeting mindful consumption, effective policies and community initiatives can significantly reduce food waste.

Exploring the household food-wasting behaviour: A bibliometric review

Despite plenty of research recently conducted, household food waste still has not been comprehensively investigated. In view of this, we systematically reviewed the literature on this topic (using VOSviewer), made content analyses and identified several issues in these studies. This study aims to provide an in-depth review on household food waste research by highlighting the research gaps. Our findings indicate that the recent studies on household food waste can be broadly categorised into three interconnected segments: definition of food waste, cause analysis of household food waste and strategies for reducing household food waste. It was found that targeted strategies could reduce food waste by up to 27.85% in some regions. In addition, intervention strategies reduced total household food waste and avoidable food waste by 31% and 30%, respectively, showing excellent performance. This review highlights the importance of targeted research on consumer behaviour and regional conditions in reducing household food waste, as well as the necessity of working out solutions to household food waste within a common interest community.

Mapping quantity, composition, and embedded environmental impacts of post-consumer waste in the food service industry in China

Understanding the current state of food waste is the basis for effective interventions. Based on field research conducted for 133 days, from March to August 2022, and for 25 days in November 2022, totaling 158 days, this study obtained first-hand data on the waste and consumption of 103 food items in ten categories at sample restaurants in different regions and city levels, and of different operation sizes in China. A total of 7759 consumers were part of this study, of whom 10 % them were children. The food delivered to a total of 2538 tables was counted as part of this study, and the average number of people per table in this study was three. The research objective was to measure the quantity, composition, and environmental impacts of post-consumer waste in the food service industry at the national level. It was discovered that: (1) Food waste generated by post-consumers in China totaled 7.57 Mt, or 43.98 g per capita per meal in 2022. (2) Fruit was the most important type of waste at 1.51 Mt. (3) Roots and tubers had the highest food waste rate (53 %). (4) The annual food waste resulted in a carbon footprint of 30.67 Mt CO2-eq, a nitrogen footprint of 393.94 million kilograms (Mkg N), a phosphorus footprint of 53.87 Mkg P, a water footprint of 17.09 million litres, and a land footprint of 4.36 million hectares (Mha).

Waste or resource? Investigating the interplay of structural d waste managers' household food waste interventions

Globally, food waste is a significant environmental, economic and social issue. Food waste in landfill creates the potent greenhouse gas, methane, contributing to climate change, with its management predominantly falling to local governments. Despite efforts by many countries, and extensive infrastructure and market development funding, food waste continues to be landfilled, with apparently similar councils taking diverse approaches. Using a mixed methods study design, data was firstly collected from a National online survey of Australian council-based waste management staff (n = 183), with descriptive and factor analysis of the survey data revealing a strong sense of structural empowerment (PCA.75 to.90) and a preference for sourcing information from networks (48%). These results informed a series of semi-structured interviews (n = 43) which, after thematic analysis, provided rich insights into the attitudinal and situational interpretations council-based waste managers bring to decisions around household food waste management. Framed by four pillars of Structural Empowerment, the findings suggest that waste manager's attitude is equally as important as support, resources, and knowledge and that, despite mandates and targets, individual motivational factors and organisational paradigms determined decision-making. Identified barriers included perceived capacity constraints, inadequate focus on actionable interventions, and fragmented, uninspiring, planning. This article provides important insights around 1) leveraging networks for knowledge dissemination, 2) fostering capacity-building initiatives, and 3) advocating for sustained engagement with food waste diversion within councils. This underscores the need for additional research into evolving council typologies and effectively engaging key stakeholders to achieve food waste diversion targets and address climate change impacts.

Factors affecting food waste: A bibliometric review on the household behaviors

Sustainability issues such as food insecurity, climate change, land degradation, economic development and food waste are the actual most important challenges at the global level. Among them, the food waste (FW) challenge has a great magnitude, emphasizing the importance of examining this issue. Specifically, there is a need to focus on the household level. Thus, this study aims to investigate and identify the main factors influencing FW household behaviors on which policymakers and stakeholders could outline specific and sustainable strategies. Starting from a large number of published studies on this subject with a similar aim but focusing on specific Countries or contexts, the goal of our study is achieved through the implementation of a systematic literature review followed by a bibliometric review using the VOSviewer software. The selected query generated a total of 235 matching papers from which only 111 papers were collected for the bibliometric review because of the inclusion criteria. The analysis showed the existence of four major research strands: the largest one analyses the antecedents of behavior during food management, including the implementation of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Other detected topics are the economic impact of FW, the effects generated by the Covid-19 pandemic on consumer behaviors, and finally, the environmental and social effects of FW. The objective of this study is to investigate and identify the main factors influencing FW household behaviors. The obtained output represents useful information for policymakers and stakeholders to outline specific and sustainable strategies to reduce FW.

Why people are bad at leftover food management? A systematic literature review and a framework to analyze household leftover food waste generation behavior

Food waste is a significant global problem. In the global north, households are a major driver of food waste generation and also a key enabler of solutions to address the issue. Leftover food management is identified as one of the key areas that can be targeted to reduce food waste at home. Although a large body of literature exists on household food waste and its drivers, managing food leftovers has received less attention. This state-of-the-art review focuses on leftover food management practices with the view of supporting practitioners in designing and prioritizing behavioral interventions to reduce leftover food waste in households. It uses the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to select articles for the review. Based on 42 primary studies, this systematic review identifies a range of psycho-social, socio-demographic and lifestyle factors influencing leftover food waste generation behavior at home. Moreover, household food handling skills and knowledge, and availability and accessibility to infrastructure facilities affect leftover food waste generation behavior. Based on the synthesized literature, Leftover Food Waste Generation Behavior (LFWGB) Framework has been developed. The framework conceptualizes psycho-social, personal and lifestyle factors driving leftover food management behaviors at home. Reducing food leftovers must be given top priority along with consumer meal planning and food preparation skills in household food waste reduction interventions and campaigns.

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.

Food waste in time of COVID-19: The heterogeneous effects on consumer groups in Italy and the Netherlands

Since COVID-19 outbreak, States adopted different combinations of measures to restrain its spread that affected individual behaviors and the already fragile local and global food systems. The aim of this research is to contribute to the scientific debate around food systems sustainability through the analysis of behavioral shifts in household food waste drivers, specifically occurring during the recent global pandemic. A survey was developed based on an extended version of the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) approach. A representative sample of 3000 respondents in Italy and in the Netherlands (1500 per country) completed this survey in May 2020, while lockdown to mitigate the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak was active in both countries. A cluster analysis based on individual food-waste- related behaviors identified four homogenous groups of consumers in the Italian sample and five in the Dutch sample. The comparative analysis of these groups led to the identification of several communalities in behavioral patterns, both within and between the two countries. Results suggest that in both countries, self-reported quantities of household food waste actually decreased, with a stronger reduction reported by Italian consumers. The MOA approach allowed to explain this perceived reduction as largely depending on the increase of opportunity to dedicate more time - to food-related activities as compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, with positive consequences on food management ability. These findings assist in drafting recommendations for tailored interventions to reduce the amount of domestic food waste and preserve positive behaviors emerged during lockdown, that could be continued in the absence of crisis.

Evolution of COVID-19 municipal solid waste disposal behaviors using epidemiology-based periods defined by World Health Organization guidelines

This study aims to identify the effects of continued COVID-19 transmission on waste management trends in a Canadian capital city, using pandemic periods defined from epidemiology and the WHO guidelines. Trends are detected using both regression and Mann-Kendall tests. The proposed analytical method is jurisdictionally comparable and does not rely on administrative measures. A reduction of 190.30 tonnes/week in average residential waste collection is observed in the Group II period. COVID-19 virulence negatively correlated with residential waste generation. Data variability in average collection rates during the Group II period increased (SD=228.73 tonnes/week). A slightly lower COVID-19 induced Waste Disposal Variability (CWDW) of 0.63 was observed in the Group II period. Increasing residential waste collection trends during Group II are observed from both regression (b = +1.6) and the MK test (z = +5.0). Both trend analyses reveal a decreasing CWDV trend during the Group I period, indicating higher diversion activities. Decreasing CWDV trends are also observed during the Group II period, probably due to the implementation of new waste programs. The use of pandemic periods derived from epidemiology helps us to better understand the effect of COVID-19 on waste generation and disposal behaviors, allowing us to better compare results in regions with different socio-economic affluences.

Statistical Analysis of the Long-Term Influence of COVID-19 on Waste Generation-A Case Study of Castellón in Spain

Existing research recognizes the COVID-19 impact on waste generation. However, the preliminary studies were made at an early pandemic stage, focused on the household waste fraction, and employed descriptive statistics that lacked statistical support. This study tries to fill this gap by providing a reliable statistical analysis setting inferential confidence in the waste generation differences found in Castellón. Repeated measures ANOVA were carried out for all the waste fractions collected and recorded in the city landfill database from 2017 to 2020. Additionally, Bonferroni’s multiple comparison test (p < 0.05) was used to assure confidence level correction and identify which pairs of years’ differences appeared. The longitudinal study identified trends for each waste fraction before the pandemic and showed how they changed with the advent of the crisis. Compared to 2019, waste collection in 2020 significantly grew for glass and packaging; remained unchanged for beaches, paper and cardboard, and dropped substantially for households, streets, markets, bulky waste, hospitals, and recycling centres. Total waste showed no differences between 2017 and 2019 but dropped significantly in 2020. These findings may help us better understand the long-term implications of COVID-19 and improve municipal solid waste management in a similar crisis.

Decentralized Composting of Food Waste: A Perspective on Scientific Knowledge

Composting has been demonstrated to be an effective and sustainable technology to treat a wide variety of organic wastes. A particular aspect of composting is the number of technological options that can be used, from full-scale plants to small composters. In this sense, the interest in composting at home or on a community scale is exponentially growing in recent years, as it permits the self-management of organic wastes and obtaining compost that can be used by the same producer. However, some questions about the quality of the obtained compost or the environmental impact of home composting are still in an early stage of development and provide little knowledge. In this review, the main points related to home and community composting are analysed in detail according to the current scientific knowledge by highlighting their advantages and possible drawbacks. Particularly, the composting process performance is analysed, with temperature stratification being one of the main problems related to small amounts of organic matter. Simultaneously, compost quality is determined using parameters such as stability and/or maturity, concluding that home compost can be similar to industrial compost in both aspects. However, sanitisation of home compost is not always achieved. Regarding its environmental impact, gaseous emissions, especially greenhouse emissions, are the most studied category and are generally low. Finally, the effects of pandemics on home composting are also preliminary commented, concluding that this strategy can be a good alternative to have cities that are more resilient.

Canadian Consumers’ Dining Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Channel Decisions in the Foodservice Industry

The past two years have been challenging for the restaurant industry in Canada and countries worldwide. This has led many casual and fine dining restaurants to adapt their business models to overcome the immediate and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aims to understand how COVID-19 has impacted Canadian consumers’ on- and off-premise dining behaviors and how such behaviors vary among various sociodemographic groups, general knowledge of COVID-19, and telecommuting. Data were collected from a nationally representative consumer panel (n = 1091), from a survey administered online by Angus Reid. The results show that Canadian consumers increased their off-premise dining experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, which also varied across various sociodemographic groups. There was also an increased level of telecommuting during the pandemic, of which 68% started following the pandemic. However, telecommuting was negatively correlated with off-premise dining experiences during the pandemic. Canadian consumers perceived off-premise dining during the pandemic as reasonably expensive, lesser quality, and more convenient. The findings may have important implications for casual and dining restaurants in Canada to improve channel decisions and messaging as operators prepare for a full-service post-COVID-19. They can build on the infrastructure and capability that has been established during the COVID-19 pandemic to offer sustainable services beyond the pandemic.