Food waste in Reykjavik: a comparison between 2015 and 2018

• Main Author: Andrea Maja Burgherr 1966-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Umhverfis- og auðlindafræði; Auðlindafræði; Matarsóun; Neysluvenjur; Umhverfisfræði; Reykjavík; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/32307

In developed countries it is estimated that approximately 25% of food purchased by households goes to waste. In 2015 research was conducted by Landvernd on 17 test-households in Reykjavik, Iceland revealing that 48 kg of food and drink was wasted per capita per year. The present study is a follow-up of Landvernd’s 2015 research, where the same households were surveyed to assess if the amount of food waste had changed. The participating households filled in a food waste diary (same as in 2015), recorded items thrown away, quantity, reason for throwing items, and the disposal route. Furthermore, a face-to-face interview was carried out with each household to learn about their shopping, storing and cooking habits, as well as their attitudes towards food waste to better understand why food is thrown away. Data from the 2018 diary revealed that 27 kg of food and drink was wasted per capita per year, a reduction of 44% and showed that participating in both studies had a positive impact on reducing food waste. The findings from the interviews revealed that even small behavioural changes in the households since 2015 were decreasing food waste amounts significantly. Furthermore, the interviews helped indicating which actions are most effective in raising awareness and changing the attitude of consumers to reduce food waste. A better use of food will help to reduce to squander natural resources, fight famine, save money and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Á vesturlöndum er áætlað að um það bil 25% af þeim matvælum sem keypt eru inn, fari til spillis. Árið 2015 var gerð rannsókn á vegum Landverndar, á matarsóun 17 heimila í Reykjavík sem leiddi í ljós að hver einstaklingur sóar 48 kg af mat og drykk árlega. Þessi rannsókn er framhald af rannsókn Landverndar frá 2015 þar sem sömu heimili og neysla og sóun þeirra var skoðuð til þess að kanna hvort matarsóun þeirra hefði breyst. Þátttakendur héldu sóunardagbók (eins og árið 2015), skráðu hluti sem hent var, magn, ástæður þess að hlutur lenti í ruslinu og hver losunarleiðin ...