Nutrition-conscious people are more effective at reducing food waste than people who are motivated by sustainability alone, a new study found.
A survey of over 1,000 Australians found that nutritionally conscious consumers are more likely to plan their meals, avoid excessive visions, and use leftovers.
In contrast, those who prioritized purchasing environmentally produced foods did not necessarily control their food in a way that reduced waste.
“People who prioritize healthy eating tend to plan their meals and avoid over-purchase — actions that significantly reduce food waste,” said Dr. Trang Thi Thu Nguyen, PhD, of the Global Food and Resource Centre at the University of Adelaide.
“The idea that sustainability-conscious consumers will be less likely to waste food seems logical. After all, they are proactively looking for ethical and environmentally friendly products. However, sustainability-focused people often focus on choosing eco-friendly products, but they don’t necessarily translate that concern into a wasteful behavior.”
Survey resultspublished in Resources, maintenance, recycling On Wednesday, we will challenge the general assumption that sustainability-focused consumers will naturally waste.
In fact, this study found no significant links between sustainability motivations and food waste reduction.
Australia is abandoned Estimated 7.6 million tonnes of food each year – equivalent to 312kg per person – Costing According to End Food Waste Australia, it is an economy of around $36.6 billion and individual households up to $2,500 a year. Globally, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimate Food waste will donate 9.3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent emissions per year.
Dr. Nguyen said a change in approach is necessary to reduce the environmental and economic burden of food waste.
“Instead of focusing on sustainability as a standalone concept, future food waste reduction campaigns should highlight the link between nutrition and food waste,” she said.
“In many cases, people are motivated by individual health benefits rather than abstract environmental concerns, which could make reducing waste as part of a healthy lifestyle.”
Dr. Nguyen said encouraging proper food storage as part of a meal plan, mindful shopping and balanced diet can make great strides in the fight against food waste.
“Not only will this help households cut the thousands of dollars lost in thousands of food waste each year, but this is important in a living crisis, but will promote healthier eating habits among Australians,” she said.
“Ultimately, the key to a more sustainable food system is not just choosing the right products, but how to manage, prepare and consume them.”
Researchers used structural equation modeling to understand how different motivations shape behavior.
Nutrition-focused consumers were more likely to plan their meals, check their pantry before shopping, and create a detailed grocery list. They also reported buying less food than they needed. These planning habits were strongly linked to lower food waste.
In contrast, sustainability-conscious consumers were more likely to focus on purchasing local or organic produce, but their behavior did not lead to similar waste reduction habits.
Additionally, in this study, older people tended to waste food, and income and gender did not make a significant difference.
However, this study had some limitations. This data relied on self-reported responses, which were not entirely accurate and focused on estimating food waste from households in large Adelaide cities. To improve accuracy, researchers implemented familiar reference points such as standard household bins and kitchen caddies to help participants with waste estimation.
This is one of the first studies to directly examine whether sustainability and nutritional value can be converted to different levels of household food waste, offering a new way to tailor climate goals to personal health by focusing on food management as well as product labels.
