Behavior Change & Attitudes Towards Food Waste

Erin McCluskey, Senior Specialist - Food Waste

I’ll be speaking at the ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit in Baltimore, MD, sharing insights into the recent US research?that WRAP and our partner MITRE will be publishing soon around citizen behaviors and attitudes towards food waste.??

I’ve spent many years working on farms and with farmers and have witnessed first-hand the immense effort and resources that go into food production -- the planning, the care, the hands, the water, soil, and sun -- only to see a significant portion dishearteningly go to waste. I’m sure a lot of farmers feel just as disheartened. That’s why I’m hugely passionate about tackling food waste.

48.2% of food waste in the U.S. happens in households, according to ReFED . Not only is this an environmental issue, but it’s also an economic one. A study from ? Penn State University showed that households are throwing away a shocking $1800 worth of food each year.??

Before joining WRAP, I worked at a global design firm called IDEO; designing prototypes to reduce food waste in the supply chain, at the retailer level and in homes. We made the theoretical and complex more tangible in imagining a more circular economy for food. We imagined future solutions, but through my work at WRAP, I get to actually implement impactful behavior change interventions that will reduce food waste, beyond the prototyping stage. I’m finally where the rubber meets the road!?

But changing behavior is challenging. I don't know how many times I bought ingredients for a meal I never made or failed to check the fridge before making a shopping list (and ended up like this guy). Our busy lives make it hard to live up to our intentions and we often end up doing what’s most convenient or habitual. So, as we look to find solutions that curb household food waste, it's crucial to implement solutions that not only educate people on how to waste less, but also make meaningful changes in the systems we use to buy, manage, consume, and dispose of food. ?

WRAP has been at the forefront of preventing food loss and waste for nearly twenty years. As an international climate action NGO, WRAP is known for its comprehensive research into the causes of food waste, executing evidence-based interventions, and convening stakeholders to drive impactful change across operations, supply chains, and citizen behavior.??

With a mission to amplify our impact tenfold by 2030, WRAP has recently expanded its operations to the Americas, marking a significant milestone in our global strategy. At our WRAP in the Americas office launch?in April, we brought together many of the key players who are working on this issue and showcased the work we’ve already been doing with guests from projects in Chile, Mexico, and Columbia.??

Food waste reduction is a top priority for WRAP in the Americas.

WRAP recently partnered with MITRE, to conduct a segmentation analysis?on household food waste in the U.S. Among the findings was the revelation that U.S. citizens simply don’t know that they’re wasting food.

With support from the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh, we’re?working to combat the issue of household food waste,?reshaping consumer environments and behaviors through a two-year citizen behavior change program. We’ll be partnering with retailers to implement impactful?citizen behavior change interventions in targeted U.S. cities, leveraging both new insights and WRAP’s years of expertise working directly on this issue globally. ?By fostering a retail environment that supports these changes, we aim to make it easier for citizens to reduce their food waste habitually. ??

I’m looking forward to joining the ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit panel to discuss why consumers waste food. Not only am I excited to share insights from WRAP’s extensive work but also to hear about the important work that my fellow panelists have led - all experts and innovators in the field. It’s an honor to be included.?

Following the panel, WRAP will also host an interactive lunchtime session on citizen behavior change where we’ll share the latest insights from our research on consumer behaviors and attitudes towards household food in the U.S. and then enlist participants to think of ways we can address some of these problematic behaviors. Participants will have the chance to make new connections, reunite with familiar faces, and explore collaborations beyond the session.?

Over the next two years we’re looking to forge meaningful partnerships to enable the delivery of impactful behavior change interventions in a retail environment?at a city level. Building on the success of these city level pilots, we’ll then aim to replicate these interventions across the U.S., partnering with national retailers to enact change at scale. Through this program, which will be informed by our years of research and action across the globe, we aim to significantly reduce household food waste in the U.S., and replicate (or beat) our success in the UK.?

These efforts will not only address the immediate environmental and economic impacts but also pave the way for stronger collaborations and opportunities across the Americas, particularly through voluntary agreement initiatives in Brazil and Mexico.??

Find out more about the work we’re doing and the partners we’re working with across the Americas.