This study aims to explore the determinants of household food waste reduction intention through perception-attitude-behavior framework with the influence of perceived policy effectiveness, quality of prevention communication, personal norms, injunctive norms, descriptive norms and attitude.
Data collected from a survey of 1,212 consumers from Vietnamese households were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
The hypotheses of the research model were all accepted. The results showed that the perception-attitude–behavior framework, including perceived policy effectiveness, quality of prevention communication, personal norms, injunctive norms and descriptive norms, explained 54.7 and 51.1% of the variance in households’ attitudes and intentions to reduce food waste, respectively.
First, the government should not only increase financial investment but also increase publicity of policies and campaigns to reduce food waste in the short and long term. Second, organizations should implement communication programs to prevent food waste through various communication channels such as speeches, reports, websites, newsletters, posters and social media. Third, communication programs and campaigns should promote the dissemination of valuable information to educate the public and consumers about the importance of food waste prevention behaviors. At the same time, it is necessary to aim at building role models in food saving.
This is the first empirical study to apply the perception-attitude-behavior framework to explore the topic of food waste and is one of the studies which address consumer norms toward food waste, including personal norms, injunctive norms and descriptive norms. Findings of the study provide practical management implications for enhancing households’ intention not to waste food and for reducing their actual food waste behavior.
