For the love of money and the planet: Experimental evidence on co-benefits framing and food waste reduction intentions
Juliana Prelez, Feiyang Wang, Ganga Shreedhar
Abstract
This randomized control trial examines the effect of informational nudges highlighting the monetary or environmental benefits, or co-benefits, of food-saving behaviors on intentions to reduce food waste within the framework of the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior (ETPB). A representative sample of Spanish participants (N = 1008) were exposed to control, monetary, environmental, or co-benefits conditions and asked to indicate their intentions to reduce household fruit and vegetable waste. Psychological, behavioral, and situational ETPB factors affecting food waste behavior were also measured. Only co-benefits framing was found to have a significant effect. Participants who were highly concerned about the environmental impact of wasting food were more strongly influenced by the co-benefits and monetary framings. Further, perceived behavioral control and food waste habits were positively associated with food-saving intentions. Thus, co-benefits framing in informational nudges can strengthen consumer intention to reduce fruit and vegetable waste, especially among consumers with higher levels of environmental concern.