Segmentation of Households Taking Into Account Their Structure in Terms of Meals Waste

Not always do households manage purchased food efficiently, as evidenced by the scale of wasted food. As results from the PROM study on food waste, an average of 3.9 kg of food (including edible and inedible parts) was thrown away in a household per week. Understanding the determinants of household food waste is a key aspect to develop and implement education programs aimed at consumers. The aim of the study was to conduct segmentation and identify groups of consumers characterized by similar food handling, with particular emphasis on food waste. Segmentation conducted on a representative group of Poles over 18 years of age enabled the identification of five clusters. The identified groups of consumers differ in the following aspects: the number of adults, the number of children, a subjective assessment of the financial situation, the percentage of food expenses. It was found that cluster E, representing households with children, prepared meals at home most often. At the same time, persons from this group most often threw out wilted fruit and vegetables, as well as potatoes, rice, and pasta. Cluster D, declaring high food expenses (61-100%), at the same time much less frequently, compared to the other groups, used meat from soup, cooked potatoes, rice, and pasta to prepare other dishes. Cluster C, declaring the best financial situation, significantly more often used wilted vegetables and fruit to prepare other dishes. Cluster A, with the largest share in the sample (almost 70%), often formed the so-called homogeneous groups with other clusters. However, it also threw away cooked starch additives and wilted fruit and vegetables more often. It should be stated that it is necessary to take measures to reduce food waste in households.