Working to Reduce Food Waste: Investigating Determinants of Food Waste amongst Taiwanese Workers in Factory Cafeteria Settings

Abstract

Food waste is a critical issue affecting the world, and more research is needed to find ways to reduce it. Much of the existing research has examined supply chain inefficiencies and plate waste in restaurants and homes, while few researchers have studied the food waste which occurs in factory cafeterias. As many factories are in Asia, examining factory cafeteria food waste behavior in an Asian context is a good starting point. With this in mind, the authors research drivers that influence Taiwanese factory workers’ behavioral intentions toward food waste reduction. To do so, a conceptual framework model is constructed using the Theory of Planned Behavior and extended using the Norm action model and Proenvironmental factors, as well as additional factors including habit, cafeteria-service quality and situational factors. A pencil-and-paper survey was conducted with 156 participants, and collected data were evaluated using a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis. Results reveal that climate change awareness, injunctive norms and habit are strong motivating factors towards Taiwanese factory workers’ intention to reduce food waste. When combined with cafeteria-service quality and situational factors, intention to reduce food waste is also shown to have a significant explanatory effect on food waste behavior.