“Stay at Home”: The Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Household Food Waste in Colombia

Household food waste represents one of the main challenges for sustainable development as this directly affects the economy of food consumers, the loss of natural resources and generates additional greenhouse gas emissions. The COVID-19 pandemic and its mitigation strategies caused one of the most serious economic crises in recent decades and could become the worst economic crisis that Latin America has had in its history. The objective of this study is to analyze changes in food waste behavior during the COVID-19 lockdown in Colombia in 2020, applying the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). For this purpose, we conducted a survey with 581 Colombian food consumers, which examined the influence of intentions to not waste food, subjective norms, some situational predictors, questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the control of perceived behavior on food waste. The results suggest that the TPB can predict the intention to not waste food and, through it, the actual household food waste behavior, considering the lockdown in Colombia as an external shock. We observe that regarding the intention to not waste food, the most relevant variables are attitudes, subjective norms, control of the perceived behavior, and concerns regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. These variables increase the probability on average by a 0.8 Odds Ratio that the intention not to waste food increases, too. Regarding food waste behavior, whether it is considered ordinal or nominal, we see that the most relevant variables are intention, financial attitudes, and control of perceived behavior, doubling the probability that food waste behavior will improve. Based on the results, we provide recommendations for interested stakeholders that can help in the design of instruments for household food waste reduction.

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Predicting household food waste reduction using an extended theory of planned behaviour

Resources Conservation and Recycling ◽

10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.05.020 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 101 ◽

pp. 194-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 106

Author(s):

Ella Graham-Rowe ◽

Donna C. Jessop ◽

Paul Sparks

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Theory Of Planned Behaviour ◽

Waste Reduction ◽

Planned Behaviour ◽

Extended Theory ◽

Household Food

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Quantities, environmental footprints and beliefs associated with household food waste in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Waste Management & Research ◽

10.1177/0734242x19873709 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (12) ◽

pp. 1250-1260 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ilija Djekic ◽

Sabina Operta ◽

Nermina Djulancic ◽

Jose M Lorenzo ◽

Francisco J Barba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Global Warming ◽

Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽

Food Waste ◽

Quality Function Deployment ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Plastic Packaging ◽

Environment Model ◽

Household Food ◽

Environmental Footprints ◽

Waste Food

The objectives of this research were to identify the quantities and global warming, acidification and eutrophication potentials associated with household food waste in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In parallel, this study investigated perceptions related to food waste and using the quality function deployment for environment model, correlated reasons for discarding food waste and beliefs associated with food waste. Based on this study, it is estimated that around 2.8 kg of food waste is disposed of by the average household every week. Global warming, acidification and eutrophication potentials associated with household food waste are, on average, 3.49 kg CO2e/week, 2.42 g SO2e/week and 8.70 g PO4e/week, respectively. Also, Bosnian households discard over 80 different pieces of food packaging waste weekly, where plastic packaging is the most dominant packing type. The highest ranked reason for discarding food is linked to plate leftovers. In general, Bosnian citizens feel guilty when they waste food.

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Analysis of Household Food Waste Reduction Towards Sustainable Food Waste Management In Malaysia

The Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management ◽

10.5276/jswtm.2018.86 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 86-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Innocent A. Jereme ◽

Chamhuri Siwar ◽

Rawshan Ara Begum ◽

Basri Abdul Talib ◽

Er Ah Choy

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Food Waste ◽

Waste Reduction ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Household Food

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Introduction of the nudging method in penitentiary facilities in Italy in view of food waste reduction: Preliminary data

Italian Journal of Food Safety ◽

10.4081/ijfs.2019.7841 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Vesna Milicevic ◽

Rosa La Ginestra ◽

Marta Castrica ◽

Sabrina Ratti ◽

Claudia M. Balzaretti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Economic Importance ◽

Waste Reduction ◽

Specific Context ◽

The Third ◽

Hygiene Practices ◽

The Social ◽

Good Hygiene ◽

Waste Food ◽

Nudging Method

The aim of this study was to analyze different aspects of food waste in the specific context of prisons by introducing the nudging method, thanks to the collaboration of District House and Prison of Larino (Italy) involving staff and guests of the penitentiary structure, providing them with the knowledge of the topic and encouraging them to propose creative and effective solutions to prevent and reduce food waste. The study involved n. 50 participants out of total of about 200 prisoners. Data were collected using n.3 questionnaires related to the knowledge of food waste food, the second related to the origin of consumed and food waste and the third collected the participants’ proposals how to reduce food waste. The results show that effects of nudging has awakened the prisoners’ conscience about the social, ethical and economic importance of reducing food waste and a proactive attitude in providing proposals for the reduction of food waste. The most wasted food is bread (35%), pasta (27%) and fresh fruit (20%), provided by the administration because they are considered of inferior quality or prepared and cooked badly. The overwhelming majority (96%) of the participants showed sensitivity about the ethical and economic reasons behind the fight against food waste, making themselves available to contribute to its reduction and suggesting some initiatives. The data collected from the questionnaires related to the causes of waste indicate the need to implement actions aimed at the correct conservation of food and the promotion of good hygiene practices.

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Determinants and Prevention Strategies for Household Food Waste: An Exploratory Study in Taiwan

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10102331 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 2331

Author(s):

Chih-Ching Teng ◽

Chueh Chih ◽

Wen-Ju Yang ◽

Chia-Hui Chien

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Waste Reduction ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Prevention Strategies ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Additional Food ◽

Household Food ◽

Important Barrier ◽

Research Findings

Given the large amount of food waste coming from households, reducing household food waste is essential to the mitigation of overall food waste and the provision of multi-faceted benefits for both people and the planet. This study identifies factors and management strategies for the reduction of household food waste in the Taiwanese household setting. Using snowball sampling, semi-structured interviews are conducted to collect data from 27 household food providers in Taipei. The research findings identify four critical motivators and four barriers to minimizing household food waste in Taiwan. The most frequently mentioned motivator for the reduction of food waste is a convenient shopping environment, and the most important barrier is lack of knowledge for assessing the edibility of food. Additionally, four major prevention strategies are identified to help reduce household food waste: (1) planned purchase schedule; (2) skills to keep food fresh and longer; (3) understanding family preferences and leftover management, and (4) sharing additional food and co-procurement and cooking. The results of this study not only help improve the understanding and application of Chinese household food waste reduction, but also demonstrate the significance of its socio-cultural impacts in future studies.

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The Determinants of Household Food Waste Reduction, Recovery, and Reuse: Toward a Household Metabolism

Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability ◽

10.1016/b978-0-08-100596-5.22448-7 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 567-574 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sally Geislar

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Waste Reduction ◽

Household Food ◽

Recovery And Reuse

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Examining Household Food Waste Behaviors and the Determinants in Korea Using New Questions in a National Household Survey

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12208484 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (20) ◽

pp. 8484

Author(s):

Sanghyo Kim ◽

Sang Hyeon Lee

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

National Level ◽

Household Survey ◽

Integrated System ◽

Waste Reduction ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Volume Rate ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Household Food ◽

National Household Survey

Despite active international efforts to reduce food waste, there are only a few academic researches and policy movements in Korea. One of the many causes of this is the lack of relevant statistics on household food waste behaviors. This study is the first comprehensive study on the food waste behaviors of Korean households and determinants, providing, based on the analysis of the first representative national-level household survey, useful insights and policy implications for countries with a similar environment and situation to Korea. This study found that approximately 63% of households discharge food waste of less than 500 g a day, and the amount varies by region significantly, implying a potential possibility of food waste reduction by regionally differentiated strategies. It is also found that the amount of food waste is on the rise in Korea, and the most widely used volume-rate disposal system in Korea is public food waste collection boxes (29.44%). Regression analyses indicate that policy efforts should focus on raising awareness of the importance of reducing food waste; for example, by promoting campaigns to encourage desirable food purchases, implementing dietary education, and discovering an optimal volume-rate disposal system that is regionally specific. This study suggest that the Korean government should actively participate in international efforts, establish an integrated system in which stakeholders and policy makers can cooperate, develop indicators and set targets for food waste reduction, and encourage diverse implementation to develop policies tailored to domestic and regional environments.

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Integrated Strategies for Household Food Waste Reduction in Bangkok

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13147651 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 7651

Author(s):

Pongsun Bunditsakulchai ◽

Chen Liu

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Social Issues ◽

Developing Economies ◽

Waste Reduction ◽

Extensive Literature ◽

Waste Generation ◽

Urban Households ◽

Integrated Strategies ◽

Household Food

Urban food waste issues in developing economies have recently attracted the attention of policymakers, practitioners, and academics in the course of implementing the Paris Agreement and the SDGs. In our case study city of Bangkok, Thailand, household food waste generation doubled from 2003 to 2018, with a similar increase in per capita amounts. Using an extensive literature review, statistical models, and a questionnaire survey, the authors clarified factors influencing food waste generation and separation before disposal, and reuse/recycling activity in urban households. Results showed that pre-purchase checks can not only prevent food waste but can also increase the reuse/recycling of food waste. Citizens with higher levels of education and those showing more concern about social issues and global warming are more likely to separate food waste before disposal and to participate in reuse/recycling activities. Finally, this paper proposes a seven-stage action-based model of integrated strategies for improving household food and food waste management to prevent/reduce food waste generation as well as remedy existing policy gaps in Bangkok.

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