Household food waste and pathways to responsible consumer behaviour: evidence from Australia

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to stimulate the pursuit of waste-free food consumption and develop guidelines to avoid irresponsible consumer behaviours. In doing so, the paper answers the questions: How much food is thrown away by Australian households? What are the causes of food wasted? And, how motivated are Australian household members to reduce food waste?Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was completed by a demographically representative sample of 5,272 households in Australia to address these questions. Using the state-wise data set and a structural equation modelling technique, this paper analyses behavioural and socio-demographic factors that influence household food waste in Australia.FindingsThe study identified that inedible food waste was the most common waste that people threw away (69%). The second-largest contribution towards waste came from meal leftovers (44%). The study identified household members not finishing their meal and cooking too much food as the leading causes of food waste from meal leftovers. Furthermore, household food members were unable to identify whether the food was safe to eat, uncertain whether they would eat prepared food that was saved for later consumption and remained confused about when to discard food. Finally, 42% indicated a high level of motivation to reduce food waste, while 34% indicated a moderated level.Originality/valueThis study's findings contribute to the practical challenges associated with the measurement of food waste in households. Further, the study provides insights to policymakers and practitioners to develop customised interventions to reduce household food waste.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on household food waste behaviour: A systematic review

“…As household food waste forms a substantial proportion of food waste ( Haque et al, 2021 ; Setti et al, 2018 ), reducing waste at the household level is crucial and has received attention from scholars and practitioners over the past few years. Food waste is a consequence of poor food-management behaviours and habits, such as planning, purchasing, cooking, eating, storing, and managing leftovers ( Berjan et al, 2021 ).…”

Family and peer communication and wine consumption among young adults: examining the role of responsible drinking practices

“…Second, this research contributes to the food and responsible consumption literature (e.g. Haque et al. , 2021; Rasool et al.…”

“…Yet, although responsible and sustainable consumption is of particular interest in the recent food literature (e.g. Haque et al, 2021;Rasool et al, 2021; for a review see Jacob-John et al, 2021), apart from Petit et al (2022) and Vecchio et al (2017), very little is known about responsible wine consumption in the fields of food marketing and consumer behavior.…”

“…Second, this research contributes to the food and responsible consumption literature (e.g. Haque et al, 2021;Rasool et al, 2021) by examining the wine product category and potential young adults' overconsumption. The findings of this research can be extended to other hedonic-based food/beverage products, such as spirits or beers, for which excessive consumption can be detrimental to consumers.…”

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Using Post-Kerbside Organics Treatment Systems to Engage Australian Communities with Pro-Environmental Household Food Waste Behaviours

“…This level of responsibility can be measured in the tonnages of organics sent to landfill, and it can be argued that raising the visibility of post-collection outputs can extend individual responsibility further along the process. Extending this platform of responsibility to include post-kerbside outputs contributes to current research into waste-related behaviours and motivations [48]. It can apply understandings in the hard-to-influence bracket around the efficacies of certain household food waste interventions [45,49] and build on overcoming the gaps in awarenessaction, or attitude-behaviour [44].…”