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Consumer Perceptions of Food Packaging in Its Role in Fighting Food Waste

Author

Listed:
  • Linda Brennan

    (School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
    Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia)

  • Caroline Francis

    (Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
    School of Design, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia)

  • Eva L. Jenkins

    (Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC 3168, Australia)

  • Bruno Schivinski

    (School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
    Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia)

  • Michaela Jackson

    (School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia)

  • Eloise Florence

    (School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
    Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia)

  • Lukas Parker

    (School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
    Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia)

  • Sophie Langley

    (School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
    Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia)

  • Simon Lockrey

    (Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
    School of Design, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia)

  • Karli Verghese

    (Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
    School of Design, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia)

  • Nhat Tram Phan-Le

    (School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
    Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia)

  • Allister Hill

    (Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
    School of Design, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia)

  • Maddison Ryder

    (Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
    School of Design, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia)

Abstract

Consumers are vital stakeholders in creating and reducing food waste. However, limited research into consumers’ perceptions of food waste and food packaging is available to inform research, packaging design or policy so that sustainable consumption practices among consumers might be better encouraged and enabled. By applying multivariate linear modelling to a sample of 965 Australian consumers, this study investigated consumers’ perceptions of packaging and packaging’s relationship to food waste. Overall, consumers perceived packaging waste as a more serious environmental issue than food waste. Most consumers did not consider food waste as an extreme environmental issue. Consumers’ perceptions of the seriousness of food waste also influenced their perceptions of packaging designed to reduce food waste. Significant differences between men and women and older and younger consumers were found regarding the relationship between packaging and food waste as well as food waste as an environmental issue. This study provides a detailed understanding of consumers and packaging, and it alerts designers and decision-makers to the differing attitudes towards food and packaging waste as well as the likelihood of consumers taking up more sustainable consumption practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Linda Brennan & Caroline Francis & Eva L. Jenkins & Bruno Schivinski & Michaela Jackson & Eloise Florence & Lukas Parker & Sophie Langley & Simon Lockrey & Karli Verghese & Nhat Tram Phan-Le & Alliste, 2023. "Consumer Perceptions of Food Packaging in Its Role in Fighting Food Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:1917-:d:1041117
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sophie Langley & Nhat Tram Phan-Le & Linda Brennan & Lukas Parker & Michaela Jackson & Caroline Francis & Simon Lockrey & Karli Verghese & Natalia Alessi, 2021. "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Food Packaging and Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-24, November.
    2. Barska, Anetta & Wyrwa, Joanna, 2016. "Consumer perception of active and intelligent food packaging," Problems of Agricultural Economics / Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej 252644, Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics - National Research Institute (IAFE-NRI).
    3. Fredrik Wikström & Helén Williams & Jakob Trischler & Zane Rowe, 2019. "The Importance of Packaging Functions for Food Waste of Different Products in Households," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-16, May.
    4. Emily Keegan & Jessica K. Breadsell, 2021. "Food Waste and Social Practices in Australian Households," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-35, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Eva L. Jenkins & Dickson Lukose & Linda Brennan & Annika Molenaar & Tracy A. McCaffrey, 2023. "Exploring Food Waste Conversations on Social Media: A Sentiment, Emotion, and Topic Analysis of Twitter Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-26, September.

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