Rapid in-situ composting of household food waste

Food waste contributes to adverse environmental and economic outcomes, and substantial food waste occurs at the household level in the US. This study explored perceived household food waste changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and related factors. A total of 946 survey responses from primary household food purchasers were analyzed. Demographic, COVID-19-related household change, and household food waste data were collected in October 2020. Wilcoxon signed-rank was used to assess differences in perceived food waste. A hierarchical binomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine whether COVID-19-related lifestyle disruptions and food-related behavior changes increased the likelihood of household food waste. A binomial logistic regression was conducted to explore the contribution of different food groups to the likelihood of increased food waste. Perceived food waste, assessed as the estimated percent of food wasted, decreased significantly during the pandemic (z = −7.47, p < 0.001). Food stockpiling was identified as a predictor of increased overall food waste during the pandemic, and wasting fresh vegetables and frozen foods increased the odds of increased food waste. The results indicate the need to provide education and resources related to food stockpiling and the management of specific food groups during periods of disruption to reduce food waste.

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Development of antibacterial and UV protective cotton fabrics using plant food waste and alien invasive plant extracts as reducing agents for the in-situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles

Cellulose ◽

10.1007/s10570-021-03715-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nina Čuk ◽

Martin Šala ◽

Marija Gorjanc

Keyword(s):

Silver Nanoparticles ◽

Green Tea ◽

Food Waste ◽

Cotton Fabrics ◽

Reducing Agent ◽

Plant Food ◽

Japanese Knotweed ◽

Tea Leaves ◽

Green Tea Leaves

Abstract The development of cellulose-based textiles that are functionalised with silver nanoparticles (AgNP), synthesised according to a green approach, and offer protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation and pathogenic bacteria is very important today. In the present work we demonstrate the environmentally friendly approach to obtain such textile material by AgNP synthesis directly (in-situ) on cotton fabrics, using water extracts of plant food waste (green tea leaves, avocado seed and pomegranate peel) and alien invasive plants (Japanese knotweed rhizome, goldenrod flowers and staghorn sumac fruit) as reducing agents. The extracts were analysed for their total content of phenols and flavonoids and their antioxidant activity. The synthesised AgNP on cotton were round, of different size and amount depending on the reducing agent used. The highest amount of AgNP was found for samples where Japanese knotweed rhizome extract was used as reducing agent and the lowest where extracts of goldenrod flowers and green tea leaves were used. Regardless of the reducing agent used to form AgNP, all cotton samples showed excellent protection against E. coli and S. aureus bacteria and against UV radiation with UV protection factor values above 50. The best results for UV protection even after the twelve repetitive washing cycles were found for the sample functionalized with AgNP synthesised with an extract of the Japanese knotweed rhizome. Due to the presence of AgNP on cotton, the air permeability and thermal conductivity decreased. AgNP had no effect on the change in breaking strength or elongation of fabrics. Graphic abstract

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Enhancing bioenergy production from food waste by in situ biomethanation: Effect of the hydrogen injection point

Food and Energy Security ◽

10.1002/fes3.288 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cynthia Kusin Okoro‐Shekwaga ◽

Andrew Ross ◽

Miller Alonso Camargo‐Valero

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Injection Point ◽

Bioenergy Production

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Enhanced in-situ biomethanation of food waste by sequential inoculum acclimation: Energy efficiency and carbon savings analysis

Waste Management ◽

10.1016/j.wasman.2021.04.053 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 130 ◽

pp. 12-22

Author(s):

Cynthia Kusin Okoro-Shekwaga ◽

Andrew Barry Ross ◽

Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Food Waste

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Intention to Purchase Active and Intelligent Packaging to Reduce Household Food Waste: Evidence from Italian Consumers

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13084486 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 4486

Author(s):

Antonella Cammarelle ◽

Rosaria Viscecchia ◽

Francesco Bimbo

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Behavioral Control ◽

Equation Model ◽

Perceived Behavioral Control ◽

Intelligent Packaging ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Household Food ◽

Willingness To Purchase

Innovations in food packaging, such as active and intelligent ones, improve food safety and lower household food waste by extending product shelf life and providing information about food quality, respectively. The consumer adoption of such innovations could contribute to reaching one of the Sustainable Development Goals which calls for halving the per capita global food waste by 2030. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the consumers’ willingness to purchase active and intelligent packaging to reduce household food waste using a sample of 260 Italian consumers and a modified Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model. Using a structural equation model, findings show that respondents are more willing to purchase intelligent packaging rather than active packaging to reduce their wastes at home. Finally, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, awareness, and planning routines are the most important drivers of the intention to reduce household food waste.

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