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Prevention and Under-Reporting Effects of Food Waste Diaries

Author

Listed:
  • Jan den Boer

    (Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland)

  • Agata Skiba

    (Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland)

  • Emilia den Boer

    (Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland)

  • Gudrun Obersteiner

    (Institute of Waste Management and Circularity, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria)

  • Arkadiusz Dyjakon

    (Energy, Environment and Society Centre, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland)

Abstract

One method of quantifying food wastage in households is a food waste diary. The goal of this study is to evaluate the reliability of food waste diaries as a methodology of waste-level measurements. This form of self-reporting is considered to underestimate the levels of food wastage because of three phenomena. The so-called self-selection bias is minimized by the chosen study set-up. The under-reporting and prevention effects were determined by measuring the food waste levels amongst 80 participating households. In week 1, the food waste amounts were determined by individual waste sorting analysis; in week 2, they used a food waste diary followed by a waste sorting analysis. The use of food waste diaries leads to a considerable prevention effect of 20%. Individual sorting analysis of uninformed households showed a generation of 59 kg∙inh −1 ∙yr −1 of avoidable food waste and 28 kg∙inh −1 ∙yr −1 of non-avoidable food waste. When using food waste diaries, these amounts dropped to 47 and 23 kg∙inh −1 ∙yr −1 , respectively. In the study, instead of an under-reporting effect, the analyses showed an over-reporting of 7%. In medium-rise housing, the food wastage level is lower than in the overall population of the study, whereas both the prevention effect and the over-reporting is higher. Low-rise housing shows the highest initial food waste level. High-rise housing shows the smallest prevention effect. In the countryside, both the food wastage level and the prevention effect are significantly lower than elsewhere. In smaller towns, a slight under-reporting effect was observed; elsewhere there was an over-reporting effect. Further research might focus on if and how long the prevention effect of the food waste diaries lasts amongst Polish households.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan den Boer & Agata Skiba & Emilia den Boer & Gudrun Obersteiner & Arkadiusz Dyjakon, 2024. "Prevention and Under-Reporting Effects of Food Waste Diaries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:24:p:11009-:d:1544506
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Claudia Giordano & Fabrizio Alboni & Luca Falasconi, 2019. "Quantities, Determinants, and Awareness of Households’ Food Waste in Italy: A Comparison between Diary and Questionnaires Quantities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Chaboud, Géraldine, 2017. "Assessing food losses and waste with a methodological framework: Insights from a case study," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 188-197.
    3. Wojciech Dronia & Jacek Połomka & Andrzej Jędrczak, 2024. "Quantity and Material Composition of Foreign Bodies in Bio-Waste Collected in Towns from Single- and Multi-Family Housing and in Rural Areas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Wojciech Dronia & Jakub Kostecki & Jacek Połomka & Andrzej Jędrczak, 2024. "Bio-Waste from Urban and Rural Areas as a Source of Biogas and Methane—A Case Study from Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-12, January.
    5. Richter, Beate & Bokelmann, Wolfgang, 2017. "Explorative study about the analysis of storing, purchasing and wasting food by using household diaries," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 181-187.
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