How Can We Focus on Loving Food While Stopping Waste at Home?
In the United States, approximately 30 to 40 percent of food is being wasted at the household level (USDA). In that sense, reducing food waste has become extremely important with the increasing human population and properly managing food production. In recent years, more effort was put into action to address the food waste crisis at a national and local level. However, when it comes to food waste campaigns, there’s a big emphasis on waste which is a negative association rather than the food itself. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the local resident’s behavior towards making sustainable choices while attempting to reduce food waste through outreach and advocacy efforts. The internship I did with the City of Redmond was developing a pilot project targeted at Redmond’s residents. The goal of the challenge was to influence/ promote sustainable behaviors with different strategies for reducing food waste through my research of food waste campaigns. The findings show that the challenge exhibits success that produced an overall positive respondent from the participants when it comes to working on their behavioral change. Most participants were believed to be more conscious of their food choices as it increases their awareness and improved their relationship with food. For future recommendations of food waste campaigns, the findings suggest the importance of collaborative work on the involvement and partnerships with other organizations. In addition, future campaigns should focus on emphasizing the creative aspect of food waste that is suitable for different lifestyles.
