Abstract
Reducing food waste is a critical strategy for mitigating the environmental effects of food production. The world has an aging population, with foodservice a key component of aged residential care (ARC), yet a significant proportion of food prepared in ARC is wasted. In this study, 14 ARC sites across New Zealand tested the effectiveness of sector-specific food waste reduction interventions. A co-design approach with ARC staff was used to identify intervention areas to address food waste. The Behaviour Change Wheel framework was systematically applied to select and refine a food waste reduction toolkit consisting of 22 intervention components across eight operational areas. Sites self-selected which intervention components to implement. Site support was provided during the initial 12-week intervention phase, after which no further support was given. At baseline, mean total food waste (kitchen, service and plate waste) was 347 g/resident/day. After the 12-week intervention phase, total food waste decreased to 258 g/resident/day and, at 24-weeks post-intervention, further reduced to 252 g/resident/day, corresponding to a 26% reduction from baseline. Given the need for practical ‘real-world’ strategies to reduce food waste, broad adoption of this toolkit offers tangible environmental, economic and social benefits for ARC.