Food waste is embarrassing! Motivations and actions to prevent it among students in Italy

Purpose – According to recent studies, young people are most inclined to waste food, and an important category is represented by students. Unlike other young people, they possess several characteristics that influence their food waste behaviour. For these reasons, this study aims to identify the elements that influence students’ behaviour towards food waste in Italy to provide insights on how to reduce food waste among young consumers. Design/methodology/approach – In this exploratory research, a Web survey involving 1,066 Italian students was used, and, after a factor analysis, a hierarchical multiple linear regression model was applied. Findings – The findings showed that, at a young age, the food thrown away and the reasons are positively associated with food waste, while the family size and the actions that students adopt to prevent food waste are negatively associated with it. Practical implications – Recognizing that students are the people who will shape the food waste scenario of the future, it is important to implement educational paths about it and to raise consumer awareness. The findings might provide interesting insights on how to develop educational campaigns for specific target groups, such as students. In fact, the results underline that local institutions and retailers should be involved in educational campaigns aimed at both addressing the motivations behind food waste and improving the actions people take to prevent it. Originality/value – The paper revisits the issue using a relatively large sample of Italian students (youths aged 16–18 years). The results provide valuable insights on how to approach hypothetical Italian students in view of the potential development of new strategies for reducing food waste.