The limitations of an informational campaign to reduce household food waste at the community scale

In this study, we designed and tested a household food waste intervention in the County of Wellington, Canada. This small study compared control households (n = 20) to those receiving an intervention package (n = 32). Food waste generation rates and composition were observed through waste composition audits before and after the intervention, and participants’ feedback on the intervention was received through a survey (n = 7). We found that although the informational campaign was generally not successful in reducing food waste generation at the community scale (possibly due to intention-behavior gaps), there is potential for such interventions to encourage a sub-set of individuals toward reduction behaviors when appropriately targeted and delivered. • An interventional campaign was not effective in reducing household food waste. • Providing information and tips is not enough to change complex wasting behaviors. • Targeted interventions may nudge some individuals toward reduction behaviors.