Household food waste management: socio-ecological dimensions

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to estimate respondents’ socio-ecological consciousness (SEC) (knowledge, perceptions, behaviour, habits and feelings) concerning household food waste (HFW) and to identify factors that influence attitude concerning HFW.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a questionnaire survey addressing to 279 residents in Western Macedonia, Greece. A principal component analysis was primarily applied to provide a manageable set of variables relevant to SEC. These variables were analyzed according to their positive/negative influence in SEC through descriptive statistics. Independent samples t-test analysis was employed to examine factors that influence HFW.

Findings

Results show that SEC is formed by three main activities: knowledge, perception and attitude. The survey reveals an inconsistency between existing knowledge and problematic perceptions, while the attitude includes neither harmful nor harmless HFW-related activities. A significant finding is that respondents’ age affects food rejection in different consumption stages in a household.

Research limitations/implications

Reliance on self-reported data for HFW that concerns a Greek case study does not allow a generalization of results.

Practical implications

The authors suggest a campaign plan for local bodies. The aim is to enhance respondents’ perceptual abilities and attitude concerning HFW. In order to raise awareness of students and individuals/households, related campaigns could be implemented by educational institutions and other policymakers.

Originality/value

The survey provides information for HFW, a topic not widely examined in Greece, and it is analyzed for the first time on the basis of SEC theory.

Citation

Aitsidou, V., Michailidis, A., Partalidou, M. and Iakovidou, O. (2019), "Household food waste management: socio-ecological dimensions", British Food Journal, Vol. 121 No. 9, pp. 2163-2178. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-02-2019-0111