Household food wasting in a net‐zero energy neighbourhood: Analyzing relationships between household food waste and pro‐environmentalism

Abstract

AbstractTo address the prominent “value‐action gap” within pro‐environmental behaviour, this novel, cross‐sectional study investigated relationships between household food wasting and pro‐environmentalism. Research was undertaken in 11 neighbourhoods across London, Ontario, Canada, including a net‐zero energy neighbourhood. A direct measurement methodology was used to measure household food waste, and a survey was created to measure knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to food wasting. Households in the net‐zero energy neighbourhood sent between 2.59 kg and 2.80 kg of food waste to landfill per week, of which 68% was classified as avoidable and the remaining 32% as unavoidable. Households in this neighbourhood sent less total (p < 0.001) and unavoidable (p < 0.001) food waste to landfill than households in “regular” neighbourhoods within the same city. While participants in the net‐zero neighbourhood had strong, self‐reported pro‐environmental worldviews, pro‐environmentalism was not found to be stronger in this neighbourhood compared to the rest of the city. The presence of stronger, self‐reported pro‐environmental worldviews was associated with a decrease in unavoidable food waste generation (p < 0.01). As the first study of its kind, further research is needed to verify the role of pro‐environmentalism in household food wasting in Canada and beyond.