Household food waste reduction and leftover reuse intention: interplay of personal norms and mediating variables

Abstract

The literature on food waste reduction has often overlooked the complexities of household waste reduction and reuse behaviors. This study takes a novel approach by applying the norm activation model to explore households’ food waste behavior. A total of 214 responses were collected from various regions of India to ensure a diverse sample. Using a structured questionnaire based on the norm activation model, the relationships between the sense of community, the consequence of awareness, and food waste behaviors were examined. The results obtained highlighted the role of a sense of community and the consequence of awareness as significant antecedents of leftover food reuse (FR) intention and food waste reduction behavior. PLS-SEM mediation analysis revealed that reduction intention mediates the relationship between food waste antecedents and outcomes, while planning routines mediate between antecedents and reduction behavior. These findings highlight the utility of our model in predicting food waste reduction and reuse behaviors, thereby providing a comprehensive framework for household food waste strategies. Practically, the findings support the development of an app with gamified features to promote sustainable food management.