What curbs food waste in Italian households? The impact of consumer sentiments and online shopping routines via food-related lifestyles

Given the relevance of food waste generated by households, this research investigates the extent to which economic and environmental concerns and online food shopping routines influence the consumer's effort to avoid food waste, whether directly or via food-related lifestyles, acknowledging that these factors may also be emphasized by external circumstances. Data were collected through an online survey, administered to a representative sample of the Italian population aged 18-70 (n=1000). The Italian context is particularly suitable for this study as Italy is the second country in Europe in terms of the amount of food waste generated at the household level and the third in terms of total food waste. We used SEM to analyze data. We find that economic and environmental concern and online food shopping affect consumer efforts towards food waste avoidance, both directly and via some food-related lifestyles. While the economic concern shows a positive direct effect on consumer efforts to avoid food waste, the environmental concern influences these efforts indirectly via more frugal shopping styles and the increasing use of food information. The online food shopping routines seem to lower consumer commitment toward food waste avoidance, being associated with a more impulsive shopping style. We contribute to the body of knowledge on food waste, by proposing and testing a model that encloses psychological factors, social practices, and food-related lifestyles, some of which may take on heightened connotations when observed in conjunction with disruptive scenarios.