A significant part of food waste by consumers is linked to psychological factors revealed in a study.
Why do consumers waste food? To that, the answer seems obvious: because their eyes were bigger than their stomachs when it was time to go shopping and their refrigerator was full of expired products. But this reason is not the only explanation for food waste, according to a study.
While a third of world production ends up in the trash, the Grenoble School of Management has looked into the psychological factors of food waste. During their research, researchers specializing in consumer behavior were able to identify several factors influencing purchases.
Reassure
“Consumers often want to reassure themselves about their standard of living, and reinforce their image as good, far-sighted parents. This could be one of the reasons why they buy too much, notes the team, led by Mia Birau, quoted in a press release.
“We also observe that consumers underestimate the filling of their freezer and their cupboards and think they are able to consume all the products purchased before the expiration date”, note the authors of the work.
Voluntary purchases, unconscious cravings
In addition, there seems to be a gap between the will at the origin of the purchase, and that which is exercised at the time of the meal and rather comes from unconscious desire. “It’s the dietary concern that drives you to buy a salad, but once at the table, you are tempted by a pizza. In the same way, we buy a new yogurt for a change, but we continue to consume our usual yogurts: the new yogurt is hardly tasted, ”explain the researchers.
Consumers also appear confused by the expiration dates which they often interpret as an immediate alert on the food safety of the product, whereas for many products, these dates are only indicative.
Finally, inventory management is often problematic: research shows that you cook the last products you buy first. “The oldest products are unused and then thrown away. Moreover, the existence of a compost risks relieving guilt by transforming almost into a virtuous act the fact of throwing away, ”notes the team.
Guilt is pointless
Finally, the authors looked at the impact of campaigns against food waste, which often use a blameworthy register. “Unfortunately, these messages often have the opposite effect: consumers feel less guilty and waste more.”
When, on the other hand, the message calls into question supermarkets or restaurants, claiming that they also have their share of responsibility, the consumer seems more willing to make efforts to reduce waste. “Mia BIRAU’s research also shows that consumers are willing to put in more effort if they feel that the effort required is easy. Awareness campaigns should therefore incorporate the concept of ease ”.
“Households are the source of the majority of food waste,” the authors explain. Our research shows that certain psychological mechanisms, largely unconscious, lead consumers to waste the food products they have purchased. By better identifying the psychological levers of waste, we hope that our research will help public authorities to carry out more effective information campaigns ”.
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