IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i14p6392-d1700202.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Effects of Interventions Using Support Tools to Reduce Household Food Waste: A Study Using a Cloud-Based Automatic Weighing System

Author

Listed:
  • Yasuko Seta

    (Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto 606-8142, Japan)

  • Hajime Yamakawa

    (Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto 606-8142, Japan)

  • Tomoko Okayama

    (Faculty of Regional Development, Taisho University, Tokyo 170-8470, Japan)

  • Kohei Watanabe

    (Faculty of Liberal Arts, Teikyo University, Hachioji Campus, Hachioji 192-0395, Japan)

  • Maki Nonomura

    (Faculty of International Agriculture and Food Studies, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan)

Abstract

Food waste is a global sustainability issue, and in Japan, approximately half of all food waste is generated in households. This study focused on refrigerator management behaviors aimed at using up the food inventory in the home. An intervention study involving 119 households with two or more members across Japan, with a two-week baseline period and a two-week intervention, was conducted. Target behaviors were set as “search food that should be eaten quickly,” “move it to a visible place,” and “use the foods that should be eaten quickly,” and tools to support these behaviors were selected, including an organizer for the refrigerator, photos, and food management apps. Each tool was assigned to approximately 30 households, and a control group was established. Food waste was measured using a cloud-based automatic weighing system, and all participants were asked to separate avoidable food waste at home and dispose of it in the designated waste bin. During the intervention period, the average weekly food waste per household decreased by 29% to 51% in the intervention group, while there was little change in the control group. An analysis using a two-way mixed ANOVA revealed a marginally significant interaction ( p < 0.10), indicating moderate effectiveness. Among the behaviors contributing to reduced food waste, three actions—“having trouble not being able to recall food inventory at home during shopping,” “moving foods that should be used sooner,” and “organizing refrigerator”—showed significant interaction effects ( p < 0.05) in a two-way mixed ANOVA, indicating the effectiveness of the intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • Yasuko Seta & Hajime Yamakawa & Tomoko Okayama & Kohei Watanabe & Maki Nonomura, 2025. "The Effects of Interventions Using Support Tools to Reduce Household Food Waste: A Study Using a Cloud-Based Automatic Weighing System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-26, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:14:p:6392-:d:1700202
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/14/6392/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/14/6392/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Reynolds, Christian & Goucher, Liam & Quested, Tom & Bromley, Sarah & Gillick, Sam & Wells, Victoria K. & Evans, David & Koh, Lenny & Carlsson Kanyama, Annika & Katzeff, Cecilia & Svenfelt, Åsa & Jack, 2019. "Review: Consumption-stage food waste reduction interventions – What works and how to design better interventions," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 7-27.
    2. Claudia Giordano & Gianluca Di Fiore & Fabrizio Alboni & Elisa Carloni & Sergio Rivaroli & Luca Falasconi, 2023. "Household Food Waste Awareness in Relation to Motivations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-14, July.
    3. Mark Boulet & Nita Lauren, 2024. "Nudging Householders to Reduce Avoidable Food Waste: The OzHarvest Use It Up Tape," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-16, June.
    4. Tomoko Okayama & Kohei Watanabe & Hajime Yamakawa, 2021. "Sorting Analysis of Household Food Waste—Development of a Methodology Compatible with the Aims of SDG12.3," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-20, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Qi, Danyi & Li, Ran & Penn, Jerrod & Houghtaling, Bailey & Prinyawiwatkul, Witoon & Roe, Brian E., 2021. "Does Nudging More Vegetable Consumption Result in More Waste? Evidence from a Randomized Dining Experiment," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 313980, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Chen Liu & Trung Thang Nguyen, 2020. "Evaluation of Household Food Waste Generation in Hanoi and Policy Implications towards SDGs Target 12.3," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-20, August.
    3. Lingfei Wang & Yuqin Yang & Guoyan Wang, 2022. "The Clean Your Plate Campaign: Resisting Table Food Waste in an Unstable World," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Cătălina Chinie & Isabelle Biclesanu & Francesco Bellini, 2021. "The Impact of Awareness Campaigns on Combating the Food Wasting Behavior of Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-17, October.
    5. Vittoria Pilone & Naomi di Santo & Roberta Sisto, 2023. "Factors affecting food waste: A bibliometric review on the household behaviors," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(7), pages 1-21, July.
    6. Qi, Danyi & Li, Ran & Penn, Jerrod & Houghtaling, Bailey & Prinyawiwatkul, Witoon & Roe, Brian E., 2022. "Nudging greater vegetable intake and less food waste: A field experiment," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    7. Aleksander Buczacki & Bartłomiej Gładysz & Erika Palmer, 2021. "HoReCa Food Waste and Sustainable Development Goals—A Systemic View," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-16, May.
    8. Mariarosaria Lombardi & Marco Costantino, 2021. "A Hierarchical Pyramid for Food Waste Based on a Social Innovation Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, April.
    9. Oriana Gava & Fabio Bartolini & Francesca Venturi & Gianluca Brunori & Alberto Pardossi, 2020. "Improving Policy Evidence Base for Agricultural Sustainability and Food Security: A Content Analysis of Life Cycle Assessment Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-29, February.
    10. Maria Elena Latino & Marta Menegoli & Martina De Giovanni, 2021. "Evaluating the Sustainability Dimensions in the Food Supply Chain: Literature Review and Research Routes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-25, October.
    11. Eulalia Skawińska & Romuald I. Zalewski & Joanna Wyrwa, 2023. "Students’ Food Consumption Behavior during COVID-19 Lockdown," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-28, June.
    12. Alana Kluczkovski & Joanne Cook & Helen F. Downie & Alison Fletcher & Lauryn McLoughlin & Andrew Markwick & Sarah L. Bridle & Christian J. Reynolds & Ximena Schmidt Rivera & Wayne Martindale & Angelin, 2020. "Interacting with Members of the Public to Discuss the Impact of Food Choices on Climate Change—Experiences from Two UK Public Engagement Events," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-21, March.
    13. Efrat Elimelech & Eyal Ert & Ofira Ayalon, 2019. "Exploring the Drivers behind Self-Reported and Measured Food Wastage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-19, October.
    14. Christina Marouli, 2024. "Food waste interventions: Barriers on the way to sustainable food systems," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(1), pages 367-380, February.
    15. Matteo Vittuari & Luca Falasconi & Matteo Masotti & Simone Piras & Andrea Segrè & Marco Setti, 2020. "‘Not in My Bin’: Consumer’s Understanding and Concern of Food Waste Effects and Mitigating Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-23, July.
    16. Małgorzata Karwowska & Sylwia Łaba & Krystian Szczepański, 2021. "Food Loss and Waste in Meat Sector—Why the Consumption Stage Generates the Most Losses?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-13, June.
    17. Adriana Antón-Peset & Maria-Angeles Fernandez-Zamudio & Tatiana Pina, 2021. "Promoting Food Waste Reduction at Primary Schools. A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, January.
    18. Esther Landells & Anjum Naweed & David H. Pearson & Gamithri G. Karunasena & Samuel Oakden, 2022. "Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Using Post-Kerbside Organics Treatment Systems to Engage Australian Communities with Pro-Environmental Household Food Waste Behaviours," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-17, July.
    19. Cattaneo, Andrea & Sánchez, Marco V. & Torero, Máximo & Vos, Rob, 2021. "Reducing food loss and waste: Five challenges for policy and research," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    20. Elisa Iori & Matteo Masotti & Luca Falasconi & Enzo Risso & Andrea Segrè & Matteo Vittuari, 2022. "Tell Me What You Waste and I’ll Tell You Who You Are: An Eight-Country Comparison of Consumers’ Food Waste Habits," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-27, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:14:p:6392-:d:1700202. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.