Work

Sharing to prevent waste: The effectiveness of an intervention encouraging food sharing

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Food waste, especially in households, is a pressing issue. Sharing excess food with others can be a strategy to tackle this issue. To encourage sharing, this research introduces an intervention involving a guideline on giving food to others and stickers reminding individuals to do so. Through a field study ( N = 199), we examine the effectiveness of this intervention on food sharing and other household behaviors towards near-expired food from the giver’s perspective. The results show that the intervention consistently increased the percentage of food shared in the two weeks after the food had entered the household. In addition, it also increased the number of individuals engaged in sharing. Besides, the intervention reduces the percentage of food put in storage, which diminishes decision-making delays and the risk of the food being forgotten and wasted eventually. Our findings offer a practical intervention to facilitate food sharing.

Source: Resources Conservation and Recycling

DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108461

Authors: Yi Zhang, Erica van Herpen, Ellen J. Van Loo

Institution: Wageningen University & Research

Language: English

Topic: Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability

Subfield: Food Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $5,270