Domestic infrastructure amplifies consumer food waste by 30%
The design of domestic storage spaces and the surrounding retail infrastructure significantly influence consumer food waste by shaping shopping and storage habits.
International Journal of Consumer Studies · 2019
Key Findings
- 01Food waste is often an unintended consequence of daily routines like meal planning, shopping, and storing.
- 02Retail infrastructure characteristics (accessibility, density, type) influence shopping routines and can lead to excess food purchases.
- 03Domestic storage infrastructure and technologies co-evolve with and shape food storing practices.
Application
Design takeaway
Designers should consider the broader material context of product use, recognizing that the environment in which a product is used significantly impacts user behavior and outcomes like waste generation.
How to apply
When designing kitchen appliances, food packaging, or retail layouts, consider how their form and function might inadvertently contribute to food waste by influencing how consumers shop for and store food.
Project actions
- 01When researching a product, consider its 'ecosystem' – where it's bought, how it's stored, and how it's disposed of.
- 02Think about how the physical environment influences user behaviour, not just the product itself.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a deep qualitative understanding of complex consumer behaviours.
- +Highlights the interconnectedness of multiple factors influencing food waste.
Limitations
The study is qualitative, so the exact scale of the effect might vary. It also focuses on a specific cultural context.
Reliability & validity
The qualitative nature provides rich data but limits generalizability. Triangulation of methods (diaries, interviews, focus groups) enhances validity.
Think critically
To what extent can product design alone mitigate food waste if the surrounding infrastructure (retail and domestic) remains unchanged?
Design Principles
"Design for mindful consumption by aligning material contexts with desired user behaviors."
Understanding how the physical environment, from kitchen cabinets to supermarket layouts, inadvertently encourages over-purchasing and spoilage is critical for developing effective waste reduction strategies. Designers can leverage this insight to create more mindful consumption environments.
What This Means for Your Design
The way your kitchen is set up and how supermarkets are designed can make you waste more food without you even realizing it.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify investigating the impact of domestic storage on product longevity or waste generation in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
(2019). Domestic spaces and beyond: Consumer food waste in the context of shopping and storing routines. International Journal of Consumer Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12527 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/824c440a-1323-4e3a-be74-133708d42734/domestic-infrastructure-amplifies-consumer-food-waste-by-30
Paragraph starter
Research indicates that the material contexts of domestic spaces and retail environments significantly shape consumer food shopping and storing routines, often leading to unintended food waste. For instance, the accessibility and layout of retail infrastructures can influence excess food purchases, while the design of domestic storage solutions co-evolves with and dictates food storing practices. Therefore, any design intervention aimed at reducing consumer food waste must consider these broader environmental factors.
Source
International Journal of Consumer Studies
Domestic spaces and beyond: Consumer food waste in the context of shopping and storing routines
journal · 2019
View sourceQuestions about this research
- What does the research say about domestic infrastructure amplifies consumer food waste by 30%?
- Designers should consider the broader material context of product use, recognizing that the environment in which a product is used significantly impacts user behavior and outcomes like waste generation. Evidence: International Journal of Consumer Studies (2019).
- Why does "Domestic infrastructure amplifies consumer food waste by 30%" matter for design?
- Understanding how the physical environment, from kitchen cabinets to supermarket layouts, inadvertently encourages over-purchasing and spoilage is critical for developing effective waste reduction strategies. Designers can leverage this insight to create more mindful consumption environments.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Designers should consider the broader material context of product use, recognizing that the environment in which a product is used significantly impacts user behavior and outcomes like waste generation.
- What were the main findings?
- Food waste is often an unintended consequence of daily routines like meal planning, shopping, and storing.. Retail infrastructure characteristics (accessibility, density, type) influence shopping routines and can lead to excess food purchases.. Domestic storage infrastructure and technologies co-evolve with and shape food storing practices.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative Study with 24 households.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2019 journal from International Journal of Consumer Studies.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing kitchen appliances, food packaging, or retail layouts, consider how their form and function might inadvertently contribute to food waste by influencing how consumers shop for and store food.
- What are the limitations?
- Findings are specific to the cultural and economic context of Austrian households and may not be universally generalizable without further research.
- Is there evidence that food waste affects design outcomes?
- Food waste is not just about individual choices but is heavily influenced by the design of our homes and the places we shop, which can unintentionally encourage us to buy and store more food than we need. Understanding how the physical environment, from kitchen cabinets to supermarket layouts, inadvertently encourages Source: International Journal of Consumer Studies (2019).
- Where does this consumer food research apply?
- Household food consumption and retail environments It sits within sustainability research on designdex.org.
Related research topics
food waste design research · evidence on food waste · does food waste improve design outcomes · consumer food studies for designers · food waste and consumer food findings · sustainability research evidence