Factors influencing food waste reduction in University Canteens: Toward sustainable campus waste management

Patranit Srijuntrapun and Pattama Ket-um

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: Objective: Food waste in university canteens poses a significant challenge to advancing sustainability in higher education. Context-specific, targeted strategies remain limited. This study examines the psychosocial factors influencing food waste reduction behaviors among users of university canteens in Thailand. Materials and methods: Drawing on ETPB and the waste hierarchy framework, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 400 undergraduate students in a large Thai university canteen. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression to identify key factors influencing food waste reduction behaviors. Results: While responses showed consistently high levels across all dependent variables, participants engaged moderately in food waste reduction. Multiple regression analysis of the survey’s results only accounted for 17.1% of the variance in food waste reduction behaviors. Perceived behavioral control (β = 0.338, p

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0343534

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0343534

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