Avoiding food waste by Romanian consumers: The importance of planning and shopping routines

Food waste is generated in immense amounts across the food life cycle, imposing serious environmental, social and economic consequences. Although consumers are the single biggest contributor to this volume, little is known about the drivers of food waste in households. This exploratory study aims to investigate the role of food choices and other food-related activities in producing food waste. A survey of 244 Romanian consumers examined the influence of intentions not to waste food, planning and shopping routines, as well as moral attitudes and lack of concern towards wasting food, a subjective norm of disapproval towards food waste, and perceived behavioural control on consumers’ self-reported food waste. Results show that consumers’ planning and shopping routines are important predictors of food waste. Planning and shopping routines are determined by moral attitudes towards food waste and perceived behavioural control. This implies that in order to change consumers’ food waste behaviour, efforts should be directed towards providing consumers with skills and tools to deal with their food-related activities.

► Food waste generated at home is embedded in consumers’ food-related activities.
► Romanian consumers’ food waste at home is mainly driven by their routines in terms of planning and shopping of food.
► Moral attitudes and perceived behavioural control affect shopping routines and subsequent food waste.