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<p>Household food waste represents a complex behavioural challenge embedded within interconnected social, economic, and environmental systems. This study investigates household food management behaviours using a behavioural segmentation approach to support more effective decision-making for food waste reduction. Based on an online survey of 314 households, cluster analysis identified three distinct behavioural pathways: “Changers,” “Careless,” and “Takers”, defined by differing motivations, routines, and responsiveness to interventions. The findings suggest that food waste behaviours are shaped by non-linear interactions among demographic characteristics, household composition, routines, and motivational drivers, rather than by single determinants. Preventive practices dominate current behaviours, yet adoption remains uneven, highlighting gaps between intention, capability, and opportunity. Importantly, clusters reflect not only current practices but also differential potential for behavioural change, providing insight into which intervention strategies are likely to be effective for specific population segments. By framing household food waste as a decision problem within a broader behavioural system, this study demonstrates how segmentation can inform targeted, system-sensitive interventions rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. The results offer transferable insights for sustainability-oriented decision-making and contribute to the design of more adaptive strategies supporting food waste reduction and progress toward SDG 12.3.</p>

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Three paths to waste: behavioural segmentation of household food management and implications for SDG 12.3

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月29日

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  • Svetlana Osinceva,
  • Iveta Cirule,
  • Anita Straujama

摘要

Household food waste represents a complex behavioural challenge embedded within interconnected social, economic, and environmental systems. This study investigates household food management behaviours using a behavioural segmentation approach to support more effective decision-making for food waste reduction. Based on an online survey of 314 households, cluster analysis identified three distinct behavioural pathways: “Changers,” “Careless,” and “Takers”, defined by differing motivations, routines, and responsiveness to interventions. The findings suggest that food waste behaviours are shaped by non-linear interactions among demographic characteristics, household composition, routines, and motivational drivers, rather than by single determinants. Preventive practices dominate current behaviours, yet adoption remains uneven, highlighting gaps between intention, capability, and opportunity. Importantly, clusters reflect not only current practices but also differential potential for behavioural change, providing insight into which intervention strategies are likely to be effective for specific population segments. By framing household food waste as a decision problem within a broader behavioural system, this study demonstrates how segmentation can inform targeted, system-sensitive interventions rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. The results offer transferable insights for sustainability-oriented decision-making and contribute to the design of more adaptive strategies supporting food waste reduction and progress toward SDG 12.3.