Poised for Change: University Students Are Positively Disposed toward Food Waste Diversion and Decrease Individual Food Waste after Programming
Eaters (consumers of food) are responsible for 60% of waste along the food cycle in developed countries. Programs that target individual and household food waste behavior change are essential to addressing such waste. School cafeterias worldwide offer an opportune microcosm in which to educate on fo...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/3/510 |
| _version_ | 1797416828427829248 |
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| author | Manar A. Alattar Jennifer L. Morse |
| author_facet | Manar A. Alattar Jennifer L. Morse |
| author_sort | Manar A. Alattar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Eaters (consumers of food) are responsible for 60% of waste along the food cycle in developed countries. Programs that target individual and household food waste behavior change are essential to addressing such waste. School cafeterias worldwide offer an opportune microcosm in which to educate on food and nutrition skills and change related behavior. No Scrap Left Behind, a cafeteria food waste diversion program, was developed, piloted, and assessed based on measures of both direct and indirect food waste behavior, and attitudes, knowledge, and emotions related to food waste. Participants had positive attitudes towards food waste reduction, engaged in food waste diversion actions, had some knowledge of the impacts of wasted food, and considered their actions important to waste reduction generally. Food waste per student was decreased by 28% over the course of the first year of programming (<i>p</i> = 0.000967), and by 26% in the following year when measured a week before and a week after programming occurred (<i>p</i> = 0.0218). Results indicate that students were poised for food behavior change and that related programming did impact behavior in the short term. Programming may, therefore, help improve student attitudes and skills to develop long-term change as well, although future research should explore this specifically. In comparison with other research on cafeteria programming, results suggest that food waste diversion programming can positively impact students’ dispositions and behaviors, and may be more effective when tailored to the specific population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:09:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dfc303e1bbed4f349ece109cd3de0668 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:09:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-dfc303e1bbed4f349ece109cd3de06682023-12-03T12:00:35ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582021-03-0110351010.3390/foods10030510Poised for Change: University Students Are Positively Disposed toward Food Waste Diversion and Decrease Individual Food Waste after ProgrammingManar A. Alattar0Jennifer L. Morse1Department of Environmental Science and Management, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97201, USADepartment of Environmental Science and Management, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97201, USAEaters (consumers of food) are responsible for 60% of waste along the food cycle in developed countries. Programs that target individual and household food waste behavior change are essential to addressing such waste. School cafeterias worldwide offer an opportune microcosm in which to educate on food and nutrition skills and change related behavior. No Scrap Left Behind, a cafeteria food waste diversion program, was developed, piloted, and assessed based on measures of both direct and indirect food waste behavior, and attitudes, knowledge, and emotions related to food waste. Participants had positive attitudes towards food waste reduction, engaged in food waste diversion actions, had some knowledge of the impacts of wasted food, and considered their actions important to waste reduction generally. Food waste per student was decreased by 28% over the course of the first year of programming (<i>p</i> = 0.000967), and by 26% in the following year when measured a week before and a week after programming occurred (<i>p</i> = 0.0218). Results indicate that students were poised for food behavior change and that related programming did impact behavior in the short term. Programming may, therefore, help improve student attitudes and skills to develop long-term change as well, although future research should explore this specifically. In comparison with other research on cafeteria programming, results suggest that food waste diversion programming can positively impact students’ dispositions and behaviors, and may be more effective when tailored to the specific population.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/3/510wasted foodfood wastewaste diversioncafeteria programmingcafeteria interventionenvironmental behavior |
| spellingShingle | Manar A. Alattar Jennifer L. Morse Poised for Change: University Students Are Positively Disposed toward Food Waste Diversion and Decrease Individual Food Waste after Programming Foods wasted food food waste waste diversion cafeteria programming cafeteria intervention environmental behavior |
| title | Poised for Change: University Students Are Positively Disposed toward Food Waste Diversion and Decrease Individual Food Waste after Programming |
| title_full | Poised for Change: University Students Are Positively Disposed toward Food Waste Diversion and Decrease Individual Food Waste after Programming |
| title_fullStr | Poised for Change: University Students Are Positively Disposed toward Food Waste Diversion and Decrease Individual Food Waste after Programming |
| title_full_unstemmed | Poised for Change: University Students Are Positively Disposed toward Food Waste Diversion and Decrease Individual Food Waste after Programming |
| title_short | Poised for Change: University Students Are Positively Disposed toward Food Waste Diversion and Decrease Individual Food Waste after Programming |
| title_sort | poised for change university students are positively disposed toward food waste diversion and decrease individual food waste after programming |
| topic | wasted food food waste waste diversion cafeteria programming cafeteria intervention environmental behavior |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/3/510 |
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