Food Waste and Ethical Consumption at Individual Level and in the Hospitality Industry in Brasov, Romania

Food waste is a phenomenon with serious consequences for modern society, with ethical, economic, and environmental implications. In addition to the extra cost, food waste affects the environment by wasting resources such as energy, water, soil, fertilizer and labour. In this study, we conducted a survey on a convenient sample to determine the level of consumption ethics, the magnitude, the causes and the measures that can be taken to reduce food waste at the individual level and in the hospitality industry, in the tourist city of Brasov, Romania. The consumers and representatives of the hospitality industry are not sufficiently aware and concerned about the consequences of food waste, but are willing to take measures to reduce it. Although essential for sustainable development, sustainable consumption faces obstacles, such as a lack of transparency about products and companies’ practices, and to overcome this, it requires the active involvement of society and public authorities.. Consumer education is also needed to enable consumers to adopt ethical consumption and become socially responsible consumers, aware of the economic, social, and environmental consequences of their consumption habits.