Main findings from diaries
| References | Design/methodology/approach | Period | Sample | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Langeley et al. (2010) | Food waste diary using consumer self-assessment method, because it is the most accurate real measurement of food waste actually entering the waste stream | Seven-days study period | 13 households (33 individuals) in the UK | Average of 0.199 kg of food per person per day. Food waste to landfill: 0.14 kg per person per day |
| Katajajuuri et al. (2014) | Kitchen diary study maps volume and composition of food waste. Each participant was paid 30 euro and was allowed to keep the electronic kitchen scale provided for weighting food waste | September 2010. Two-week study period | 380 households (1054 individuals) in Finland | Average annual food waste ranged from 0 to 160 kg per person. On average, 23 kg per person and 63 kg per household |
| Silvennoinen et al. (2014) | Follow-up study concentrating on mapping the volume and composition of avoidable solid food waste and liquid milk waste in households. Phone guidance available, but never requested | September 2010 Two-week study period | 380 households in Finland | Global households waste: 882 kg per two weeks. Average household waste per two-weeks: 0–23.4 kg. On average, households discarded 2.3 kg, thus 837 g per person per week (59 g per person per day) |
| Richter and Bokelmann (2017) | Dairy is made out of four questionnaires to list food storage, food purchase, food waste and attitudes/perceptions towards food and food waste, plus guide with background information | August–November 2014 Seven-day study period | 25 households in Germany | Not available data by diaries |
| Delley and Brunner (2018) | Two different approaches: the main one, consisting on food frequency in a self-reported written form; the alternative one, combining data about disposal routes and results from waste compositional analysis | May–June 2016 | 506 households in Switzerland | 396 g of food per households per week, or 171 g per person per week, corresponding to 8.9 kg per capita per year |
| Giordano et al. (2018) | Diary and questionnaire reliability evaluation with waste sorting analysis performed on 12 sub-sample out of 20 units. Quantities of self-perceived (questionnaire), self-reported (diary) and actual (waste sorting) food waste compared | One-week study period | 20 households in Italy | Edible food waste estimated in 489 g per household per week based on questionnaires, and 1,035 g per week based on diaries. In sub-samples, food waste of 334 g per week based on questionnaires, 818 g per week based on diaries and 1,058 g per week based on waste sorting analysis |
| Giordano et al. (2019a) | Household members in-charge of shopping and food management were required to record the quantity of food waste produced within the household on a daily basis, including key details on food thrown away | February 2017 | 385 households in Italy | Quantity of household food waste amounted to 0.530 kg per person per week (27.5 kg per person per year) and 1.224 kg per household per week |
| Giordano et al. (2019b) | Two different phases: diary stage and questionnaire stage. Respondents received 50 euro to join the experiment (shopping vouchers) | May–June 2017 | 388 households in Italy | Overall per person food waste: 530 g per week. Single households: 717.7 g per week. Families of three members: 375 g per capita per week. Families composed by four members of more: 424.5 g per week |
| Leverenz et al. (2019) | Comparison of two different types of coaching methods to reduce avoidable food waste in households. Panel 1: offline self-reporting system and personal communication through face-to-face dialogues during coaching sessions. Panel 2: web-based online platform to communicate and display information | Panel 1 March–May 2011 Panel 2 March–May 2012 | Panel 1: 16 households, in Germany. Panel 2: 37 households, in Germany | Panel 1: before coaching 49.08 g per capita per day, after coaching 19.81 g per capita per day Panel 2: before coaching 34.93 g per capita per day, after coaching 16.16 g per capita per day |
| van Herpen et al. (2019) | Participants recorded the weight for each waste instance (in grams), state, product category and if the waste was thrown in the bin, otherwise participants were asked to simply describe other disposal methods. Respondents received 40 euro to join the experiment | One-week study period | 143 members of a consumer panel in Netherlands | 1,055 g per week per households, thus 150 g per day per household |
| Ilakovac et al. (2020) | Preliminary research to evaluate best method among weighting, quantity estimate or self-assessment. Then, selection of self-assessment method as most convenient, precise and user-friendly | May–September 2017. Seven-days study period, from Monday to Sunday | 118 households in Croatia | Weekly amount of food waste per households: 3.64 ± 2.52 kg. Daily amount of food waste per households: 0.52 ± 0.36 kg. Average weekly amount of food waste per household member: 1.44 ± 1.08 kg. Average daily amount of food waste per household member: 0.21 ± 0.15 kg |
| Moreno et al. (2020) | Kitchen diaries with food description, mass (in ounces), state of food (inedible parts, cooked, whole), loss reason and discarded destination | Late 2016 and early 2017. One-week study period | 489 households in Denver, CO and New York City, NY | Approximately 1,337 kg of food per 489 households per week. 2.73 kg of food per household per week, thus 0.39 kg per household per week |
| References | Design/methodology/approach | Period | Sample | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food waste diary using consumer self-assessment method, because it is the most accurate real measurement of food waste actually entering the waste stream | Seven-days study period | 13 households (33 individuals) in the UK | Average of 0.199 kg of food per person per day. Food waste to landfill: 0.14 kg per person per day | |
| Kitchen diary study maps volume and composition of food waste. Each participant was paid 30 euro and was allowed to keep the electronic kitchen scale provided for weighting food waste | September 2010. Two-week study period | 380 households (1054 individuals) in Finland | Average annual food waste ranged from 0 to 160 kg per person. On average, 23 kg per person and 63 kg per household | |
| Follow-up study concentrating on mapping the volume and composition of avoidable solid food waste and liquid milk waste in households. Phone guidance available, but never requested | September 2010 | 380 households in Finland | Global households waste: 882 kg per two weeks. Average household waste per two-weeks: 0–23.4 kg. On average, households discarded 2.3 kg, thus 837 g per person per week (59 g per person per day) | |
| Dairy is made out of four questionnaires to list food storage, food purchase, food waste and attitudes/perceptions towards food and food waste, plus guide with background information | August–November 2014 | 25 households in Germany | Not available data by diaries | |
| Two different approaches: the main one, consisting on food frequency in a self-reported written form; the alternative one, combining data about disposal routes and results from waste compositional analysis | May–June 2016 | 506 households in Switzerland | 396 g of food per households per week, or 171 g per person per week, corresponding to 8.9 kg per capita per year | |
| Diary and questionnaire reliability evaluation with waste sorting analysis performed on 12 sub-sample out of 20 units. Quantities of self-perceived (questionnaire), self-reported (diary) and actual (waste sorting) food waste compared | One-week study period | 20 households in Italy | Edible food waste estimated in 489 g per household per week based on questionnaires, and 1,035 g per week based on diaries. In sub-samples, food waste of 334 g per week based on questionnaires, 818 g per week based on diaries and 1,058 g per week based on waste sorting analysis | |
| Household members in-charge of shopping and food management were required to record the quantity of food waste produced within the household on a daily basis, including key details on food thrown away | February 2017 | 385 households in Italy | Quantity of household food waste amounted to 0.530 kg per person per week (27.5 kg per person per year) and 1.224 kg per household per week | |
| Two different phases: diary stage and questionnaire stage. Respondents received 50 euro to join the experiment (shopping vouchers) | May–June 2017 | 388 households in Italy | Overall per person food waste: 530 g per week. Single households: 717.7 g per week. Families of three members: 375 g per capita per week. Families composed by four members of more: 424.5 g per week | |
| Comparison of two different types of coaching methods to reduce avoidable food waste in households. Panel 1: offline self-reporting system and personal communication through face-to-face dialogues during coaching sessions. Panel 2: web-based online platform to communicate and display information | Panel 1 | Panel 1: 16 households, in Germany. Panel 2: 37 households, in Germany | Panel 1: before coaching 49.08 g per capita per day, after coaching 19.81 g per capita per day | |
| Participants recorded the weight for each waste instance (in grams), state, product category and if the waste was thrown in the bin, otherwise participants were asked to simply describe other disposal methods. Respondents received 40 euro to join the experiment | One-week study period | 143 members of a consumer panel in Netherlands | 1,055 g per week per households, thus 150 g per day per household | |
| Preliminary research to evaluate best method among weighting, quantity estimate or self-assessment. Then, selection of self-assessment method as most convenient, precise and user-friendly | May–September 2017. Seven-days study period, from Monday to Sunday | 118 households in Croatia | Weekly amount of food waste per households: 3.64 ± 2.52 kg. Daily amount of food waste per households: 0.52 ± 0.36 kg. Average weekly amount of food waste per household member: 1.44 ± 1.08 kg. Average daily amount of food waste per household member: 0.21 ± 0.15 kg | |
| Kitchen diaries with food description, mass (in ounces), state of food (inedible parts, cooked, whole), loss reason and discarded destination | Late 2016 and early 2017. One-week study period | 489 households in Denver, CO and New York City, NY | Approximately 1,337 kg of food per 489 households per week. 2.73 kg of food per household per week, thus 0.39 kg per household per week |
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