Predicting food waste reduction behavior among students in higher education institutions

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to determine and analyze the predictors of food waste reduction intention and behavior among higher education institutions (HEIs) using an extended version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Design/methodology/approach This study empirically tested an extended TPB model through regression analyses using data obtained through an online survey. Findings Attitude toward food waste reduction, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and food waste knowledge predicted intention to reduce food waste. Furthermore, the intention to reduce food waste predicted food waste reduction behavior. Research limitations/implications The results imply that extending the TPB by adding food waste knowledge significantly predicted food waste reduction intention and behavior. Practical implications The study identified factors that predict food waste reduction behavior and suggested ways to influence Filipino students in HEIs to reduce food waste. Originality/value The findings support the inclusion of food waste knowledge to the TPB in predicting food waste reduction intention and behavior among students in HEIs.

Investigating Farmers’ Intentions to Reduce Water Waste through Water-Smart Farming Technologies

“…People's attitudes towards reducing waste can be influenced by various factors, such as personal norms, knowledge about waste minimization [33], perceived benefits [49], and awareness of consequences [13]. Previous studies have found that attitudes play an important role in intentions to reduce waste of food [31,32,49,50], energy [30], construction materials [33,51], and water [9,52]. Additionally, attitudes have been shown to be a significant predictor of farmers' intentions to recycle farming water waste [11], and tourists' attitudes have been found to predict their intentions to reduce waste as well [53].…”

“…Skevas et al [55] found that peer groups play a significant role in shaping farmers' adoption of new technologies like unmanned aerial vehicles. Previous studies have also shown that perceived social pressure can positively influence intentions to reduce waste [32][33][34]50,53] and conserve water [4,36,45,47,52]. For their part, Rasoulkhani et al [1] noted that word of mouth, through social network interactions, may stimulate intentions to adopt water conservation technology.…”

“…Although many smart farming technologies are available at low costs, Lencsés et al [59] noted that if farmers lack the capital to purchase new technologies, they may be unwilling to use them. Previous studies on waste reduction [19,[32][33][34]50,51] and water waste recycling [11] have suggested the prominent role that PBC can play in shaping behavioral intentions. Recently, Warner et al [57] revealed that PBC is the strongest antecedent of encouraging others towards water-saving behaviors.…”

“…According to Li et al [33], knowledge about waste minimization is a strong predictor of construction waste reduction behavior. Akhter et al [31] and Valentin et al [32] found that knowledge about food waste significantly reduced food waste intention. Su et al [14] found that knowledge about water conservation predicted farmers' behavior to conserve water.…”

“…Previous empirical studies have broadly adopted the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate the determinants of waste reduction intentions and behaviors for various resources, such as energy [29,30] and water [9], and for different products, such as food [31,32], construction materials [33], and medicines [19]. Most of these studies have also expanded the TPB model by adding additional constructs and have confirmed that the extended model has a better predictive ability compared to the original TPB.…”