Socio-demographic drivers of household food waste management practices in Thailand

Patranit Srijuntrapun, Pattama Ket-um and Witsanu Attavanich

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: The escalating food waste crisis, with millions of tons of food being discarded annually, highlights the pressing necessity to improve household food waste management practices. This complex and multifaceted challenge is a crucial element of a comprehensive national strategy for reducing food waste. This article seeks to examine the diverse demographic and social factors that shape household food waste management practices in Thailand. A substantial national dataset (n = 2,500) was meticulously gathered through questionnaires, using multi-stage sampling and multiple regression analysis to reveal critical insights. This study reveals that educational attainment (β = 0.299), household size (β = 0.201), and monthly income (β = 0.058) are positively associated with effective household food waste management practices. Notably, the type of housing, such as single houses over 200 square meters (β = .058**) and condominiums/apartments (β = .063**), significantly influence food waste management behaviors. However, townhouses (β = -.074***) are negatively associated with improved food waste management practices. The research also identifies key barriers to effective food waste prevention, including the lack of organizational guidance (29.4%), the perception that waste reduction does not save costs (26.1%), and uncertainty about where to donate surplus food (25.2%). Additional challenges of managing food scraps include the uncertainty about options for donation or sale of food scraps (43.3%) and the limited knowledge of composting or bio-fermentation methods (30.2%). In conclusion, this study provides essential insights for policymakers, ractitioners, and researchers by identifying key demographic, knowledge-based, and behavioral factors that shape household food waste management. The study’s findings underscore the need for targeted educational initiatives and infrastructure enhancements. Policymakers can leverage these insights to develop policies that support public-private partnerships and improve waste management infrastructure. Practitioners can apply this knowledge to implement more effective waste segregation strategies, while researchers are encouraged to explore socio-economic factors influencing food waste at a national scale, thereby addressing critical research gaps. This comprehensive approach is vital for reducing household food waste and promoting sustainable waste management practices across diverse communities.

Keywords: household food waste; socio-demographic drivers; food waste practices; waste hierarchy approach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q53 Q56 R2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-11-13, Revised 2025-03-01
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Published in PLOS ONE 20.4(2025): pp. 1-18

Downloads: (external link)
https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/124924/1/MPRA_paper_124924.pdf original version (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:124924

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany Ludwigstraße 33, D-80539 Munich, Germany. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Joachim Winter ().