Effects of climate change and food waste policy information on students' attitudes and behavior

Abstract

Every year in the US, 30 to 40 percent of edible food is wasted, generating 4% of overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is estimated that university and college students, particularly those living on campus and using dining facilities, generate approximately 624,371 tons of food waste (FW) annually, contributing to GHG emissions. In response to the economic and climate change impacts of FW, the US government in 2015 announced a FW-reduction goal to cut FW by 50% by 2030. Using before and after surveys, this study investigated changes in the University of Delaware (UD) students’ perceptions of FW generation in dining halls, homes, and restaurants following exposure to information on either the climate change impacts of FW or government FW policy. Using non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models, the study assessed changes in perception of students’ self and others’ FW generation and factors affecting those perceptions. Following the government FW policy intervention, students' perception of their own and others’ FW generation decreased in the university setting, and the climate change informational intervention reduced students’ perception of others’ FW generation at home. A decrease in the perception of others’ food waste generation indicates how people expect others to react to the same information. Along with changes in perception of FW generation, the study also revealed changes in students’ FW-related attitudes and knowledge of the climate change impacts of FW, due to the survey and informational interventions. However, the information interventions did not increase students’ willingness to accept (WTA) FW reduction initiatives in the dining halls. OLS models revealed varying impacts of demographic variables such as gender, age, income, membership of environmental organizations, and dietary habits on students’ perception of self and others’ FW generation in different settings. It also revealed the impacts of environmental concerns and the perception of the responsibility of dining halls on students' self and others’ FW generation perception. The OLS model revealed that only female students and students from urban communities significantly reduced their perceived FW generation at home after the informational interventions. Results indicate the effectiveness of climate change impacts and government FW policy intervention in FW reduction among university students. As those interventions affected students’ knowledge, behavior, and perception of FW generation- they could be used to target FW reduction among the students, particularly in the university setting.