Transcript Slide 1

EPA12/0947
Love Food Hate Waste
Social research update
2009 - 2012
Introduction to the research
The following slides highlight the results of
quantitative research conducted by the EPA in
2009 and 2012.
A benchmark study (prior to the launch of the
program) was completed in 2009 and a follow
up tracking study in 2012.
The research was conducted with 1,200 NSW
residents representative of the NSW
population by age, gender and location.
Concern about food waste
From 2009 – 2012 there has been:
•Increase in the level of concern about the issue of food waste.
•Increase in people who identified food as the largest component of the garbage
bin.
•Decrease in people indicating they buy food that gets thrown away before being
eaten
•Decrease in people claiming to throw out ‘more’ and ‘much more’ food than they
should.
With the increase in concern about food waste it is very timely to continue to deliver
local LFHW projects and to leverage this concern by providing the community with
tangible actions and solutions to the problem.
Buy it: Planning and shopping
Householders are inclined to state that they rarely find food that was purchased
that didn't get used yet:
- there is mixed use of menu planning and shopping lists and
- low levels of consideration of amounts that will be used when out
shopping.
•
Food left in the fridge and freezer is the number one reason cited for
food waste.
•
Two thirds claim to check what is in the house prior to shopping as well
as date labels in store
For our programs, we need to continue to focus our efforts on the planning
messages and the benefits of meal planning to avoid food waste.
Buy it: Planning and shopping
Write a list and
Check what food
stick to it as
Plan meals to be
is already in the
much as
cooked in the
house
possible
next few days
Note: Percentage refers to the total number of respondents who reported to do this behaviour regularly.
2009
35%
2012
42%
2009
53%
2012
57%
2009
66%
2012
68%
Always
Most times
Buy it: Planning and shopping
Buy food
Check use
based on
by and best
Buy food
what is on
before dates according to special (incl. Buy items in
in store
a set budget 2 for 1 deals)
bulk
Note: Percentage refers to the total number of respondents who reported to do this behaviour regularly.
2009
18%
2012
18%
18%
2009
42%
39%
2012
46%
2009
43%
2012
2009
66%
66%
2012
66%
Always
Most times
Cook it: Preparation and cooking
• Consideration of portion sizes has
remained consistent over time
• Making extra for a ‘planned’ future
meal has increased
• Making extra ‘just in case’ has
decreased
Through retaining food preparation and
cooking messages in our programs
along with useful tools e.g. serving size
calculator and spaghetti measurer we
will continue to see improvements in
these behaviours.
Cook it: Preparation and cooking
Consider portion
sizes and only
make as much as
you need
Make extra for a
future 'planned'
meal
Make extra 'just in
case' it is needed
Note: Percentage refers to the of the total number of respondents who reported to do this behaviour regularly.
2009
2012
20%
17%
2009
28%
2012
32%
2009
47%
2012
47%
Always
Most times
Save it: Storage
• Increase in the number of respondents
saving leftovers in the fridge and
consuming them
• Decrease in the number of respondents
disposing leftovers immediately after a
meal
• Decrease in the number of respondents
who save leftovers in the fridge or freezer
and then throw them out
While very simple, integrating messages
about remembering to take leftovers to
work/school for lunch the next day is a
great way to keep food out of the bin.
Save
Save
leftovers in leftovers in
Save
Save
the fridge the freezer Dispose of leftovers in leftovers in
and
and
leftovers the fridge the freezer
consume consume immediately and throw and throw
later
later
after a meal out later
out later
Save it: Storage
Note: Percentage refers to the total number of respondents who reported to do this behaviour regularly.
2009
2012
2009
2012
2009
2012
2012
8%
6%
10%
8%
11%
9%
2009
36%
30%
2009
52%
2012
62%
62%
Always
Most times
Financial impact of food waste
In 2012, respondents estimated that
they throw away:
$12.24 fresh food
$9.57 leftovers
$9.28 packaged and long life
$8.84 drinks
$8.09 frozen food
$7.88 take away
TOTAL: $56.00 per week (2012)
$19.90 per week (2009).
Increased awareness of the issue
may have resulted in more accurate
estimations. Rising food prices may
also have contributed to the
significant increase in value wasted.
Reach and recall
• Consistent recognition of LFHW brand
• Significant increase in recognition of
the LFHW logo
• Apple continues to be the most ‘recalled’
promotional material
• Almost one in two people who were
exposed to the program claimed it
motivated them ‘very much’ or ‘quite a bit’
to avoid food waste.
People continue to be motivated by the
environment and to save money
Segment: Food Lovers
Food Lovers’ are individuals who have registered to receive the LFHW newsletter.
Food lovers are predominately female, live in Sydney followed by a large country
town and 25-54 yrs.
Compared to the general population, Food Lovers:
• Have a greater awareness and concern about environmental issues
• Have a greater knowledge of the issue of food waste and the environmental
impacts
• Are more likely to admit to wasting food yet waste significantly less financially
compared to the general population
These results reinforce the value of recruiting food lovers and the benefits of
ongoing engagement through the e-newsletter and special email communications.
Segment: Planners
•Planners are more likely than non-planners to ‘always’ or ‘most times’:
- write a list, check what already in the fridge/freezer/cupboard, check
date labels, buy food according to a set budget, buy items in bulk, consider serving
sizes and save leftovers in the fridge and consume them afterwards
•Have a lower average value of food wastage per week than non-planners.
•Apart from just planning their meals in advance, planners also implement a lot of
other key behaviours which avoid food waste because they are thinking ahead.
The greatest gains that can be made will be by encouraging those that are doing
these behaviours ‘sometimes’ to do them ‘most times’ or ‘always’.
Encouraging the uptake of planning behaviours will have huge benefits for
household budgets and the reduction of food waste.
Segment: Young consumers
•
Higher than average knowledge
about the issue of food waste yet
do not demonstrate food waste
avoidance behaviours
•
Less likely to buy food according
to a set budget or to consider
serving sizes
•
Wasting $88.69 per household per
week compared to $56.00 for the
general population
•
Overall, higher recognition of
LFHW materials
Segment: Families with children
• One in two families with
children admits to wasting food
• High proportion admit to
throwing out ‘more’ and ‘much
more’ than they should
• Contributing factors to food
wastage for families with
children can be identified at
various stages:
- 47% ‘always’ or ‘most times’
buy food that is on special
- 25% say family members do
not finish their meals
- Cite cooking too much as the
key reason for food waste.
Segment: Rural and regional
NSW
Those living in a large country town are more likely:
- to agree it is easy to make meals from assorted ingredients that need
using up
- to check what food is already in the house before shopping
- to estimate significantly lower value of food wastage, $44.90 on
average per week compared to $56 for general population.
Those living in small country towns are significantly:
- more likely to ‘always’ or ‘most times’ buy food according to a budget
- wasting less money on food waste, $39.97 compared to $56 for general
population.
Those living in country rural areas are:
- more likely to report wasting ‘very little’ or ‘no’ food
- more likely to disagree with the statement that ‘busy lifestyles make it
hard to avoid food waste’.
Segment: CALD communities
•
Concerned about the health effects of pollution and high agreement that
wasting food contributes to climate change
•
More likely to:
- correctly identify food as the largest component of the average bin
- estimate higher annual values of food waste
- make extra ‘just in case’
- store leftovers in the freezer only to throw them out later.
•
Less likely to:
- ‘always’ or ‘most times’ write a list and stick to it
- plan meals to be cooked in the next few days
- understand the meaning of ‘best before dates’.
For your projects
• Continue to build awareness and understanding of the issue of food waste
avoidance and develop supporting skills to take action particularly in regard to
planning behaviours.
• Continue to use the LFHW messages and resources to engage with the
community and raise the profile of the issue. Of those who have seen the LFHW
materials, 1 in 2 were at least motivated to think about the issue, and are taking
some form of action.
• Leverage the increase in concern about the issue of food waste and ongoing
media attention.
• Design your projects to meet the needs of the identified target audiences.
• Encourage community members to register as Food Lovers. Recruitment of new
food lovers and the retention of existing food lovers is an excellent strategy to
ensure on going engagement and to re-enforce food waste avoidance behaviours.