The quantity and composition of household food waste during the COVID-19 pandemic: A direct measurement study in Canada

• Published in: Socio-economic planning sciences 2022-08, Vol.82, p.101110-101110, Article 101110
• Main Authors: Everitt, Haley, van der Werf, Paul, Seabrook, Jamie A., Wray, Alexander, Gilliland, Jason A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COVID-19; Direct measurement; Food geography; Household demographics; Household food waste; Neighbourhood food environment
• ISSN: 0038-0121; 1873-6041; 0038-0121
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2021.101110

The COVID-19 pandemic may have amplified the environmental, social, and economic implications of household food waste. A better understanding of household food wasting during the pandemic is needed to improve the management of waste and develop best practices for municipal waste management programs under crisis circumstances. A waste composition study was undertaken with 100 single-family households across the city of London, Ontario, Canada to determine the quantity and composition of household food waste disposed in June 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines how household demographic, socioeconomic, and neighbourhood food environment characteristics influence household food wasting. On average, each household sent 2.81 kg of food waste to landfill per week, of which 52% was classified as avoidable food waste and 48% as unavoidable food waste. The quantity and composition of household food waste was found to be strongly influenced by the number of people and children in a household, and somewhat influenced by socioeconomic factors and neighbourhood food environment characteristics, including the availability, density, and proximity of retail food outlets. •This is one of the only direct measurement studies of food waste during COVID-19.•During COVID-19, sample households sent 2.81 kg of food waste to landfill per week.•52% of household food waste was classified as avoidable and 48% as unavoidable.•Food waste was influenced by the number of people and children in a household.•Proximity to and density of some food outlet types influenced unavoidable food waste.