Household Attitudes and Behavior towards the Food Waste Generation before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Romania

Food waste represents an important aspect with social, economic, and environmental implications. As previous studies underlined, the COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in the food consumption patterns among consumers. The aim of the study was to investigate the main changes in household food waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania compared with the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors affecting food waste were also analyzed. Data were collected among Romanian households using an online administrated questionnaire. The 784 usable questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Cluster analysis. Consumers' food shopping habits have become more sustainable during the pandemic, with a positive impact on waste management. The amount of the food losses decreased, people found ways to valorize the food scraps. The Cluster analysis of 25 food waste behavior factors lead to a 3 clusters solution: wasters (n = 264), careless consumers (n = 227), careful consumers (n = 359). While the wasters group was represented by consumers who chose to plan the shopping and the menu for the next period, were represented mainly by males with a lower level of education, the careless consumers did not choose to plan before going shopping, they discharge lower quantities of food compared with the first group. The careful consumers proved to be the most organized one, being preoccupied about the menu planning and reuse of leftovers. People became more conscious about their shopping habits; however, not all groups greatly improved their habits. The results indicate that more actions are needed to increase the awareness at the household level regarding food waste management and sustainable consumption during changing times.

Automated summary

This study investigated the changes in household food waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania, finding that consumers' food shopping habits became more sustainable, leading to a decrease in food losses and an emphasis on menu planning and the valorization of food scraps. However, not all groups improved their habits, highlighting the need for further actions to increase awareness at the household level.