The effect of emotions on food waste behaviors among young Chinese consumers

Abstract

Food waste is a serious problem in the environment, economy and society at present. This paper examines the relationship between food waste behaviours and emotions for young consumers in China.Data were collected from 384 individuals aged 18-35 across China using a quantitative method. Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) was conducted on the above model. The above data show that emotions are linked to a person's behavior of wastefulness. Negative emotions such as regret and self-blame for wasting food lead to more responsible consumption behaviour and reduce the amount of food waste. The above results indicate that emotions are related to the sustainable consumption and food waste. Our study offers some suggestions for the government and schools on how to organize effective awareness-raising activities and interventions to encourage young people to reduce food waste.