A Systematic Review of Pre-Post Studies Testing Behaviour Change Interventions to Reduce Consumer Food Waste in the Household

Abstract

Since the United Nations announced their Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 to halve per capita food waste by 2030, prevention has become an international focus. Consumers are responsible for a significant portion of food waste, and much of this waste is avoidable by improving food management routines and planning in the household. There is a growing body of research focused on developing and evaluating domestic behaviour change interventions which can improve these behaviours. However, evidence of intervention efficacy on a household level is inconsistent, and best-practice approaches for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners have not been identified. Furthermore, the magnitude of this problem across environmental, social, and economical aspects of life necessitates meaningful long-term change. Many reviews have synthesised household food waste intervention studies, yet there is a gap exploring whether new habits can or will stick. We identify 16 peer-reviewed articles applying behaviour change interventions in the household, with a pre–post design to measure food waste both before and after implementation. The review reveals a paucity of studies that evaluate intervention efficacy relative to their baseline, as well as a significant longitudinal evidence gap. Our recommendation for further research is for the robust replication of effective short-term interventions to be tested longitudinally. Overall, this review outlines potential areas for prioritisation to enable large-scale sustained household behaviour changes in the fight against food waste.