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Love Food, Hate Waste? Ambivalence towards Food Fosters People’s Willingness to Waste Food

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin Buttlar

    (Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany)

  • Lars Löwenstein

    (Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany)

  • Marie-Sophie Geske

    (Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany)

  • Heike Ahlmer

    (Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany)

  • Eva Walther

    (Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany)

Abstract

Food waste is the origin of major social and environmental issues. In industrial societies, domestic households are the biggest contributors to this problem. But why do people waste food although they buy and value it? Answering this question is mandatory to design effective interventions against food waste. So far, however, many interventions have not been based on theoretical knowledge. Integrating food waste literature and ambivalence research, we propose that domestic food waste can be understood via the concept of ambivalence—the simultaneous presence of positive and negative associations towards the same attitude object. In support of this notion, we demonstrated in three pre-registered experiments that people experienced ambivalence towards non-perishable food products with expired best before dates. The experience of ambivalence was in turn associated with an increased willingness to waste food. However, two informational interventions aiming to prevent people from experiencing ambivalence did not work as intended (Experiment 3). We hope that the outlined conceptualization inspires theory-driven research on why and when people dispose of food and on how to design effective interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Buttlar & Lars Löwenstein & Marie-Sophie Geske & Heike Ahlmer & Eva Walther, 2021. "Love Food, Hate Waste? Ambivalence towards Food Fosters People’s Willingness to Waste Food," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-24, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:7:p:3971-:d:529583
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Reynolds, Christian & Goucher, Liam & Quested, Tom & Bromley, Sarah & Gillick, Sam & Wells, Victoria K. & Evans, David & Koh, Lenny & Carlsson Kanyama, Annika & Katzeff, Cecilia & Svenfelt, Åsa & Jack, 2019. "Review: Consumption-stage food waste reduction interventions – What works and how to design better interventions," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 7-27.
    2. Schmidt, Thomas & Schneider, Felicitas & Claupein, Erika, 2019. "Food waste in private households in Germany – Analysis of findings of a representative survey conducted by GfK SE in 2016/2017 –," Thünen Working Paper 290529, Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (vTI), Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries.
    3. Alba J. Collart & Matthew G. Interis, 2018. "Consumer Imperfect Information in the Market for Expired and Nearly Expired Foods and Implications for Reducing Food Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Florian Lange & Cameron Brick, 2021. "Changing Pro-Environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-5, July.

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