Household food waste behaviour: Subjective and objective evidence

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the issue of quantifying food waste as a basic assumption for an effective measure to achieve the lowering of its volume. From literary sources one can see great differences in the amounts recorded, caused, among other reasons, by the unclear methods of monitoring and the unclear terms used for description of the term food waste. From questionnaire research carried out on the opinions and causes of waste among 1582 respondents it was found that it is regarded as a significant problem by society but the everyday behaviour of the individual does not correspond to this. Changes in the behaviour of the individual occur during their realisation of this waste issue, for instance by means of objective research into wasted food (through the weighing of the individual types of food thrown out). The average value of wasted food reached approximately a quarter of the amount given for EU and corresponds to the amount reported in Finland.