Investigating the Impacts of Behavioural-Change Interventions and COVID-19 on the Food-Waste-Generation Behaviours of Catered Students in the UK and India

Nicholas Davison, William Young, Andrew Ross, Timothy Cockerill and Shailendrasingh Rajput
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Nicholas Davison: School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
William Young: School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Andrew Ross: School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Timothy Cockerill: School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Shailendrasingh Rajput: Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai 400019, India

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-23

Abstract: A food-waste initiative was conducted at two university canteens in the UK and India to examine food-waste attitudes and opportunities for food-waste reduction. Interventions were carried out to reduce food waste in both canteens. In the Indian canteen, postintervention data also included COVID-19-related changes, such as a change from self-service to table service, as well as reduced menu choices and an improved estimation of the number of students requiring meals. Surveys and focus groups were conducted with students to better understand their food-waste-related attitudes, while interviews were carried out with university staff to better understand food-waste management. The study in the UK university canteen found that introducing table cards, posters, and signs led to food-waste reductions of 13%. Meanwhile, the study in the Indian university canteen found that the interventions and COVID-19 impacts led to food-waste reductions of 50%. Concerning food-waste-related differences between the UK and India, culture and food preferences were key reasons for food waste in India, with 40.5% more participants in India stating that they wasted food because the ‘food didn’t taste good’. Students in India were more concerned about social issues and food poverty related to food waste, with around 9% more participants stating that the ‘food could be used by others’. Meanwhile, students in the UK were more bothered by the economic and environmental impacts of food waste, with around 31% more participants stating food waste is ‘a waste of money’, and is ‘bad for the environment’ when compared to India. Key opportunities for both countries included adopting food-sharing initiatives, informed menu choices, and meal planning, as well as student-led engagement projects.

Keywords: food waste (FW); university canteens; behavioural change; COVID-19; interventions; waste reduction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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