Is that the way the cookie crumbles? Variation in household food waste by socio-demographics and food management behaviours

Households produce more food waste than the rest of the supply chain combined in most countries. Identifying which households contribute most to food waste is important for designing and implementing effective interventions to reduce food waste. However, previous findings on the impact of socio-demographic characteristics and food management behaviours on household food waste are inconsistent and often rely on self-reported food waste data. In this study, we examined the association of socio-demographics and food management behaviours with directly measured food waste in 1783 UK households using waste compositional analysis. Our findings indicate that household size, age, and education significantly influence food waste levels, with individuals holding a university degree wasting less food, contrary to previous studies that analysed self-reported food waste levels. Additionally, the behaviours of purchasing the right amount of food, reusing leftovers, and defrosting items from the freezer are found to mediate the relationship between age and food waste. While purchasing the right amount of food and reusing leftovers are associated with lower food waste, households better at defrosting tend to waste more food, an intriguing and previously unreported finding. Our results suggest that future behavioural interventions should focus on these significant socio-demographic factors and food management behaviours to reduce household food waste.