Household food wasting in a net-zero energy neighbourhood: Analyzing relationships between household food waste and pro-environmentalism

Abstract

To address the prominent “value-action gap” within pro-environmental behaviour, this novel, cross-sectional study investigated relationships between household food wasting and pro-environmentalism. Research was undertaken in 11 neighbourhoods across London, Ontario, Canada, including a net-zero energy neighbourhood. A direct measurement methodology was used to measure household food waste, and a survey was created to measure knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to food wasting. Households in the net-zero energy neighbourhood sent between 2.59 kg and 2.80 kg of food waste to landfill per week, of which 68% was classified as avoidable and the remaining 32% as unavoidable. Households in this neighbourhood sent less total (p < 0.001) and unavoidable (p < 0.001) food waste to landfill than households in “regular” neighbourhoods within the same city. While participants in the net-zero neighbourhood had strong, self-reported pro-environmental worldviews, pro-environmentalism was not found to be stronger in this neighbourhood compared to the rest of the city. The presence of stronger, self-reported pro-environmental worldviews was associated with a decrease in unavoidable food waste generation (p < 0.01). As the first study of its kind, further research is needed to verify the role of pro-environmentalism in household food wasting in Canada and beyond.