Barriers and Enablers to Food Waste Recycling: A Mixed Methods Study amongst UK Citizens

Abstract

We aim to identify influences on UK citizens’ household food waste recycling as a basis for designing strategies to increase household food waste collection rates via local services. Using a UK dataset (n = 1801) and the COM-B (Capability–Opportunity–Motivation–Behaviour) model as a theoretical framework, we conduct quantitative regression and supporting thematic analyses to investigate influences on citizens’ recycling of food waste. Results show that automatic motivation (e.g., emotions and habit) and psychological capability (e.g., knowledge) predict household food waste recycling. Physical opportunity (i.e., dealing with food waste in other ways such as home-composting or feeding pets/strays, time and financial costs) was the main barrier to recycling food waste identified in thematic analyses. Participants also reported automatic motivation-related barriers such as concerns over pests, odour, hygiene and local authorities’ food waste collection capabilities. Based on findings we recommend the development of clear, consistent communications aimed at creating positive social norms relating to recycling and increasing knowledge of what can and cannot be put in food waste bins. Improved functional design and free distribution of bins and compostable caddy liners developed according to user-centred needs for cleanliness, convenience and hygiene are also needed. These will not be sufficient without a nationally uniform, efficient and reliable system of household food waste collection.

Predicting the Intention to Sort Waste at Home in Rural Communities in Lebanon: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

“…This is because citizens already hold positive attitude toward the behaviour, but they may not know how to enforce it because there is no appropriate segregation, collection, and treatment system. We should start creating initiatives to build the capability and the opportunity to perform the behaviour, which is part of the PBC construct [ 78 ]. For example, citizens need to receive bins and bags that would allow them to separate waste.…”

Improving compostable plastic disposal: An application of the Behaviour Change Wheel intervention development method

“…Evidence suggests, however, that more work is needed in this area. Not only are there still many UK citizens who lack access to food waste collection services, many with access still do not engage with these services (Allison et al, 2022). In addition, there is widespread confusion relating to the terms, often used interchangeably, used to label compostable plastics which also leads to confusion regarding their end-of-life management (WRAP, 2007;Allison et al, 2021a).…”

“…There is therefore great value in illustrating the Behavior Change Wheel's application in the present context. Of the few studies in this area, the Behavior Change Wheel has been shown to be a valuable tool for designing interventions targeting recycling (Allison et al, 2022) and reuse (Allison et al, 2021b). It has also been used in behavior change intervention development guides for local and national (England PH, 2020) government and partners therefore making it an appropriate and useful framework for the design of the present intervention.…”

“…• A mixed-methods study on barriers and enablers to household food waste recycling (Allison et al, 2022).…”

“…The third is a survey investigating perceptions, knowledge and end-oflife management of bioplastics in Australia (Dilkes-Hoffman et al, 2019). As these studies were not conducted within the present context, these findings were supplemented with a qualitative study of barriers and enablers to purchasing biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging amongst UK citizens (Allison et al, 2021a) and a survey of influences on household food waste recycling amongst UK citizens (Allison et al, 2022). Shown in Table 1, determinants of disposal behavior identified in these studies were mapped to COM-B, as this was selected as the theoretical framework to underpin intervention development.…”