TY - JOUR

T1 - Household food waste in five territories in Europe and Northern Africa

T2 - Evaluation of differences and similarities as implication for actions.

AU - Peronti, Benedetta

AU - Di Veroli, Jacopo Niccolò

AU - Scognamiglio, Umberto

AU - Baiamonte, Irene

AU - Stefanovic, Lilliana

AU - Bügel, Susanne Gjedsted

AU - Matthiessen, Lea Ellen

AU - Aboussaleh, Youssef

AU - Belfakira, Chaimae

AU - Średnicka-Tober, Dominika

AU - Góralska-Walczak, Rita

AU - Rossi, Laura

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Reduction of food waste is an important element of the sustainable transformation of food systems. This study focused on food waste quantification, its causes, and perception in 5 territories: North Hessia (Germany), Cilento Bio-District (Italy), Kenitra (Morocco), Warsaw (Poland), Copenhagen (Denmark) with the main objective of assessing whether different cultures affected the levels and the profiles of household food waste. A validated questionnaire was used to assess the quantities and typologies of food waste (completely unused, partially used, meal leftovers, leftovers after storing). In addition, the reasons for food waste and how food waste was perceived were investigated. In a sample of 2154 respondents, the level of still edible food that was wasted amounted to 399 g per family per week, equivalent to 153 g per capita. Kenitra showed the highest amount of FW per household (539 g), but the lowest amount of food waste per capita (125 g). Citizens of rural communities, e.g., Cilento Bio-District (136 g), North Hessia Federal State (132 g), and Kenitra (125 g), had more effective food waste prevention practices than citizens of urban areas, e.g., Copenhagen (201 g) and Warsaw (179 g). Family size was identified as a significant factor in FW generation, with households having 5 or more members showing lower FW per capita (85 g) than single-member families (309 g). The study underscores the need for tailored strategies to reduce FW considering the above-reported territorial differences.

AB - Reduction of food waste is an important element of the sustainable transformation of food systems. This study focused on food waste quantification, its causes, and perception in 5 territories: North Hessia (Germany), Cilento Bio-District (Italy), Kenitra (Morocco), Warsaw (Poland), Copenhagen (Denmark) with the main objective of assessing whether different cultures affected the levels and the profiles of household food waste. A validated questionnaire was used to assess the quantities and typologies of food waste (completely unused, partially used, meal leftovers, leftovers after storing). In addition, the reasons for food waste and how food waste was perceived were investigated. In a sample of 2154 respondents, the level of still edible food that was wasted amounted to 399 g per family per week, equivalent to 153 g per capita. Kenitra showed the highest amount of FW per household (539 g), but the lowest amount of food waste per capita (125 g). Citizens of rural communities, e.g., Cilento Bio-District (136 g), North Hessia Federal State (132 g), and Kenitra (125 g), had more effective food waste prevention practices than citizens of urban areas, e.g., Copenhagen (201 g) and Warsaw (179 g). Family size was identified as a significant factor in FW generation, with households having 5 or more members showing lower FW per capita (85 g) than single-member families (309 g). The study underscores the need for tailored strategies to reduce FW considering the above-reported territorial differences.

KW - Europe

KW - Food waste

KW - Household

KW - Northern Africa

KW - SysOrg project

KW - Territorial comparisons

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142086

DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142086

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85190299760

VL - 452

JO - Journal of Cleaner Production

JF - Journal of Cleaner Production

SN - 0959-6526

M1 - 142086

ER -