Food waste
messages for
maximum
impact:
research slides
April 2013
Background
In early 2013, WRAP commissioned research to develop and test key
messages to build awareness of the context of food and drive preferred
behaviours:


act to prevent food waste;
use the food waste recycling collection service for any food you can’t eat
A mixed methodology was adopted including focus groups in advance of a
wider quantitative survey
This document presents key findings from the quantitative research
Learn from
evidence
Behaviour
and message
hierarchy
Qualitative
testing and
refinement
Quantitative
testing
Research objectives

Priority: To identify which messages are most motivating, appealing and easy to
understand and identify any differences according to current behaviour and presence of
a collection service

To understand preferences for the timing of communications and identify which
messages resonate best before, during and after roll out of a collection service

To understand preferences for key communication channels and optimum locations for
messages at each stage of the journey (including leaflets, ads, triggers and prompts in
the home etc.)

To understand knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding food waste prevention
and recycling and establish how this affects reactions to key messages

To identify any differences in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards preventing
food waste according to whether respondents have access to and use a food waste
recycling service

To explore reactions to a range of messages around food waste prevention and
recycling, including context facts, “how to”, benefit led and performance related
messages
A note on the qualitative findings




2 focus groups were conducted with a sample of the target audience in Scotland and
Wales.
Attendees were prompted to consider message priorities through the use of mood
boards and also encouraged to develop their own ideas using co-design exercises
Overall, preferred messages all featured elements of reduction AND recycling,
highlighting the strong inter-relationship between the two messages
Preferences were then taken forward for further quantitative testing among a
representative sample of the public across Scotland and Wales
Method and sample




Gender
Online survey conducted in Scotland and Wales
among representative population
In field 12 Feb – 28 Feb 2013
Scotland - 628 responses
Wales – 628 responses
Male
47%
Female
53%
Age
65-99
18%
18-24
13%
E
16%
25-34
16%
55-64
19%
45-54
17%
35-44
17%
D
11%
C2
20%
A
5%
Social grade
B
20%
C1
28%
Standard demographic crosstabs have been produced for all respondents. These include gender, nation,
age and social grade. Results have been highlighted where there is a significant difference
Age and gender interlocked by nation
Scotland
18 – 24
25 – 34
35 – 44
45- 54
55 – 64
65+
Total
Male
Quota
Respondents
Difference
Quota
Respondents
Difference
15%
17%
19%
17%
13%
19%
100%
14%
18%
19%
17%
13%
19%
100%
+/- 0.8%
+/- 0.4%
+/- 0.1%
+/- 0.1%
+/- 0.3%
+/- 0.1%
13%
17%
19%
17%
13%
21%
100%
13%
18%
18%
17%
13%
21%
100%
+/- 0.2%
+/- 0.7%
+/- 0.4%
+/- 0.1%
+/- 0.1%
+/- 0.3%
Wales
18 – 24
25 – 34
35 – 44
45- 54
55 +
Total
Female
Male
Female
Quota
Respondents
Difference
Quota
Respondents
Difference
13%
15%
17%
17%
38%
100%
13%
15%
17%
17%
38%
100%
+/- 0.5%
+/- 0.3%
+/- 0.3%
+/- 0.0%
+/- 0.3%
13%
13%
15%
17%
42%
100%
13%
13%
15%
17%
42%
100%
+/- 0.1%
+/- 0.3%
+/- 0.1%
+/- 0.0%
+/- 0.5%
How much uneaten food do you throw away?
3%
3%
4%
29%
29%
30%
None
Hardly any
29%
26%
31%
A small amount
Some
A reasonable amount
23%
28%
19%
11%
10%
11%
4%
4%
5%
Total
Scotland
Wales
Quite a lot
The majority – around 6 in 10 - claim to throw away a small amount or less.
Scottish respondents are slightly more likely to throw some food away Base: 1256
Do you have access to a food waste collection
service?
Wales
95%
4% 1%
Yes
No
Don't know
Scotland
58%
0%
20%
39%
40%
60%
80%
3%
100%
Almost all in Wales and 58% of Scottish respondents stated they have access to a food
waste collection service.
Base: 1256
How often, if at all, do you use the food waste
recycling collection service?
12%
12%
12%
4%
4%
5%
8%
19%
12%
6%
15%
26%
Never
Very occasionally
Sometimes
56%
Total
62%
47%
Scotland
Most times
Every time
Wales
The majority – 75% claim to use the food waste collection at least most of the time. Not surprisingly, usage is
higher in Wales where the service has been operational for longer. 12% never use the service in either nation.
Base: 963 who have access: Scotland 365 Wales 598
Use of food waste recycling collection by age
65-99
63%
55–64
17%
67%
45–54
15%
61%
35–44
25–34
44%
18–24
43%
Total
16%
23%
Most times
8%
19%
Sometimes
13%
5%
18%
7%
14%
8%
Very occasionally
8%
13%
5% 3%
11%
28%
56%
Every time
5% 5%
18%
55%
11%
6% 2%
5%
4%
9%
12%
Never
Use of the collection service increases with age. Those aged 25 – 34 are most likely to never
use the service.
Base: 963 who have access: Scotland 365 Wales 598
Reasons for not using the collection service
No uneaten food
56%
9%
0%
6%
Hardly any uneaten food
56%
14% 8%5%
It is more important to prevent
food waste than to recycle it
Disagree strongly doing my bit
for environment is important
Neither reducing food waste
nor recycling it are important…
Total
28%
17%
Every time
51%
18%
17%
8%5%
Most times
Sometimes
24%
47%
18% 6%6%
Very occasionally
Never
29%
23% 3% 17%
56%
19%
29%
12%
8%4%
Those who never use the service appear to fall into 2 distinct camps – a minority who don’t believe the
environment is important and the majority who do believe prevention is important and have limited
uneaten food
Base: 157 who very occasionally or never use the collection service
3%
8%
12%
18%
9%
15%
13%
35%
Disagree strongly
Disagree a little
Agree a little
54%
49%
Don't Know
Agree strongly
To what extent do you agree that doing my bit to
help the environment is important personally?
Among those who don’t use the collection
service, 8 in 10 who don’t throw away food
agree the environment is important personally
44%
20%
20%
Quite a lot/a reasonable amount
Some/small amount
Hardly any/none
How much uneaten food, overall, would you say you generally end up throwing away?
Those who don’t use the food waste collection and agree that doing their bit to help the environment is important throw away
less food. Those that do throw away more uneaten food are less inclined to believe the environment is important to them.
base 157 who ‘very occasionally’ or ‘never’ use the food waste recycling collection service
Using the collection increases awareness and
encourages people to waste less food
In what way, if at all, has having a food waste collection, changed how you think about
your food waste?
3%
20%
3%
19%
3%
21%
8%
16%
9%
15%
7%
16%
53%
54%
53%
Total
Scotland
Wales
Other
It hasn't changed much - I
use the service and that's it
Now the food waste is
collected separately I don't
worry when I do have to
throw food away
2/3 say using the collection has increased awareness of food waste and just over half say they try to throw away less.
Around 1 in 5 say they use the service and that’s it and only 8% say they now don’t worry when they throw food away
Base: All who use collection Total 849 Scotland 323 Wales 526
Using the collection increases reduction effort
among families in particular
In what way, if at all, has having a food waste collection, changed how you think about your
food waste?
Other
20%
22%
8%
8%
16%
17%
20%
8%
10%
14%
22%
8%
0%
15%
22%
It hasn't changed much - I use the service
and that's it
Now the food waste is collected separately I
don't worry when I do have to throw food
away
53%
Total
51%
None
61%
1
59%
2
56%
3+
It has made me more aware of the food
waste in general but I haven't done
anything different
It has made me more aware of the food I
throw away and now I try to throw away
less
6 in 10 of those with 1 or 2 children say they are more aware and try to throw away less compared to 51% of those with no children at home.
Using the collection increases effort most amongst the highest food wasting family audience.
Base: All who use collection Total 849 Scotland 323 Wales 526
Effort to reduce waste is highest among those who
agree the environment is important personally:
In what way, if at all, has having a food waste collection, changed how you think about
your food waste?
3%
20%
4%
3%
13%
8%
8%
2%
13%
28%
33%
43%
It hasn't changed much - I use the service
and that's it
6%
16%
19%
22%
62%
22%
It has made me more aware of the food
waste in general but I haven't done anything
different
22%
It has made me more aware of the food I
throw away and now I try to throw away less
45%
30%
Total
Now the food waste is collected separately I
don't worry when I do have to throw food
away
10%
15%
53%
Agree strongly
Other
Agree a little Disagree a little
Disagree
strongly
Base: All who use collection Total 849 Scotland 323 Wales 526
Preventing food waste is equally or more
important than recycling:
Which ONE of the following statements best reflects your view about food waste?
Wales
42%
5%
50%
3%
It is more important to
prevent food waste than to
recycle it
It is more important to recycle
food waste than to prevent it
Scotland
44%
3%
50%
3%
Reducing food waste AND
recycling food you can't eat
are both equally important
Total
43%
4%
50%
3%
Neither reducing food waste
nor recycling it are important
to me
Prevention is seen as equally or more important than recycling. 50% believe both are equally
Base 1256
important and 43% believe its more important to prevent food waste than to recycle it
Attitudes to preventing & recycling food waste
by age:
Which ONE of the following statements best reflects your view about food waste?
65-99
45%
3%
55–64
46%
3%
45–54
49%
35–44
25–34
18–24
Total
1%
39%
6%
11%
43%
49%
3%
44%
29%
52%
46%
51%
49%
54%
4%
50%
0
3%
It is more important to prevent food
waste than to recycle it
2%
It is more important to recycle food
waste than to prevent it
4%
6%
7%
Reducing food waste AND recycling
food you can't eat are both equally
important
Neither reducing food waste nor
recycling it are important to me
3%
Those aged 18 – 24 are more likely than other groups to say that recycling is more important,
however they are still in the minority compared to those who believe prevention is important
Base 1256
Similar attitudes between those with and
without food waste recycling collection services:
Do you have a food waste recycling collection?
Don’t
know
44%
44%
11%
It is more important to
prevent food waste than to
recycle it
It is more important to
recycle food waste than to
prevent it
No
Yes
44%
42%
2%
5%
Reducing food waste AND
recycling food you can't
eat are both equally
important
54%
49%
4%
Neither reducing food
waste nor recycling it are
important to me
Regardless of access to a food waste recycling service, the vast majority recognise that it is more
important to prevent food waste than to recycle it.
Base 1256
Attitudes to food waste (total sample):
To what extent do you agree with the following statements
I make every effort to reduce the amount of food I
throw away
Food waste is not a problem as it breaks down in the
ground in landfill
70%
11%
30%
Recycling food waste is good, preventing food waste is
better
Doing my bit to help the environment is important to
me personally
Agree strongly
Agree a little
Disagree a little
29%
74%
53%
Disagree strongly
26%
3%
1%
23%
6%
22%
38%
2%
1%
1%
5%
2%
2%
Don't Know
Effort to reduce food waste is almost unanimous and 96% agree that “recycling food waste is good,
preventing it is better”. 4 in 10 believe that food waste is not a problem as it breaks down in landfill
Base 1256
Attitudes - differences

Effort - % of those saying they make every effort is highest among those who use the
food waste collection every time (76%), those who say the collection has increased
awareness of food waste and try to throw away less (77%), those who agree its more
important to prevent food waste than recycle it (75%), those who agree strongly its
important personally to do their bit for the environment (87%) and those who say they
waste hardly any or no food (88%)

Recycling food waste is good, preventing food waste is better – agreement is highest
among those who use the food waste collection every time (81%), those who say the
collection has increased awareness of food waste and try to throw away less (81%),
those who agree its more important to prevent food waste than recycle it (81%), those
who agree strongly its important personally to do their bit for the environment (88%)
and those who say they waste hardly any or no food (85%)

Food waste is not a problem as it breaks down in the ground in landfill – agreement is
highest among those who feel it is more important to recycle food waste than prevent it
(25% agree strongly) and those who agree that neither reducing food waste or
recycling are important to me (76% agree)
“Doing my bit to help the environment is important
to me personally” – agreement increases with age
65-99
67%
55–64
28%
62%
45–54
32%
55%
35–44
37%
50%
40%
25–34
40%
49%
18–24
39%
48%
Female
Male
Total
Agree strongly
Disagree strongly
56%
38%
Agree a little
Don't Know
3%2%
2%
7% 1%
1%
8% 2%3%
41%
53%
4%1%
1%
7% 2%3%
36%
50%
2%3%0
4%1%
3%
6% 3%
1%
5% 2%
2%
Disagree a little
Agreement that “doing my bit to help the environment is important” is high – 91% agree and 53% agree
Base 1256
strongly, rising from 39% among 18 – 24 year olds to 67% of those aged 65 - 69
Attitudes to food waste by nation – Wales is
slightly more favourable:
To what extent do you agree with the following statements?
Wales - every effort to reduce food waste
Scotland - every effort to reduce food
waste
Wales - helping environment important
personally
Scotland - helping environment important
personally
Agree strongly
Agree a little
72%
24%
68%
58%
49%
28%
33%
44%
Disagree a little
3%
1%
3%
1%
5%2%
2%
5%
1%
1%
Base 1256
Attitudes to food waste by nation
To what extent do you agree with the following statements?
Wales - food waste is not a problem as
it breaks down in landfill
13%
Scotland - food waste is not a problem
9%
as it breaks down in landfilll
30%
29%
29%
30%
23%
24%
Wales - recycling is good, preventing is
better
74%
1%
21% 3%
Scotland - recycling is good, preventing
is better
74%
0
23% 1%
Agree strongly
Agree a little
Disagree a little
Disagree strongly
Don't Know
Base 1256
Reactions to key messages
The food cycle
Cycle – main message understanding
(spontaneous):
What do you think this image is asking you to do?
100%
90%
80%
Other
9%
3%
25%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Show tips/ gives advice/ tells how to reduce waste
Avoid Waste/ reduce waste/ don't waste food/ reduce food
waste
Recycle food/ recycle what you can't eat/recycle more
Eat leftovers/ serve leftovers
11%
3%
6%
3%
5%
16%
3%
4%
13%
Cook just enough/ Not too much
Store correctly
Use the food you buy/ Use food sensibly
Buy what you need/ Buy sensibly/ wisely/
Buy less/ save money
Be aware/think
Plan ahead/ plan/ think ahead/be organised
Extremely positive response and clear understanding of main message - 25% reduce waste, 16% buy
what you need, 11% recycle, 13% plan ahead. Only 1% disagree
Base 2271
Cycle - main message understanding, detail:
What do you think this image is asking you to do?
Other
Don't know
Same as before
OK/ Good
Any negative comments
Self explanatory/ message clear
Food cycle/ Cycle
Show tips/ gives advice/ tells how to reduce waste
Avoid Waste/ reduce waste/ don't waste food/ reduce food…
Recycle food/ recycle what you can't eat/recycle more
Eat leftovers/ serve leftovers
Eat it all/ eat all you cook
Cook just enough/ Not too much
Store correctly
Use the food you buy/ Use food sensibly
Buy what you need/ Buy sensibly/ wisely/
Buy less/ save money
Be responsible/ careful
Be aware/think
Plan ahead/ plan/ think ahead/be organised
Total number of responses received
0
44
9
14
18
23
19
22
76
558
244
78
27
131
79
108
355
63
33
101
269
100
200
300
400
500
600
Base 2271
How much do you like or dislike this way of
communicating?
3%
3%
3%
10%
10%
10%
47%
50%
43%
Dislike a lot
Dislike a little
Like a little
Like very much
40%
36%
Total
Scotland
43%
Wales
87% say they like the cycle diagram approach – 13% are consistently negative
Base 1256
Cycle – the majority believe it communicates
importance of both reduction and recycling
4%
6%
4%
6%
25%
26%
2%
5%
17%
44%
41%
40%
23%
24%
32%
Would encourage me to reduce Would encourage me to recycle Tells me reducing food waste
my food waste
my food waste
and recycling are both
important
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Neither/nor
Tend to disagree
Strongly disagree
3/4 (76%) feel that the cycle diagram “tells me reducing food waste and recycling are both important”, 64% say
it would encourage them to recycle, 64% say it would encourage them to reduce food waste
Base 1256
Cycle- prompted response – no real differences
by nation
Tells me reducing food waste and
recycling are both important - Wales
37%
40%
15% 5%2%
Tells me reducing food waste and
recycling are both important -Scotland
28%
Would encourage me to recycle my
food waste - Wales
25%
39%
24%
7% 5%
Would encourage me to recycle my
food waste - Scotland
23%
40%
28%
6%3%
Would encourage me to reduce my
food waste - Wales
23%
40%
23%
7% 5%
Would encourage me to reduce my
food waste - Scotland
24%
41%
Strongly agree
Tend to disagree
Tend to agree
Strongly disagree
48%
18%
27%
4%
2%
4%
3%
Neither/nor
Base 1256
Cycle is easy to understand and relevant to
people like me
Gives me practical tips to help me reduce my
food waste
Encourages me to buy local food
20%
10%
42%
17%
Is easy to understand
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
38%
50%
Is relevant to people like me
Tells me new information
24%
30%
11%
Neither/nor
36%
40%
24%
21%
33%
Tend to disagree
9% 5%
13%
9%4%
1%
19%
21%
6%4%
11%
Strongly disagree
86% agree that the cycle is easy to understand, 70% agree its relevant to people like me, 62% agree it
gives me practical tips. 35% feel it provides new information, while a similar number disagree. ‘Encourages
Base 1256
me to buy local’ was inserted as ‘red herring’.
Cycle – no real differences by nation
Gives me practical tips to help me… 20%
Gives me practical tips to help me…
41%
21%
44%
Is easy to understand - Wales
Tells me new information - Wales
32%
28%
12%
Tells me new information - Scotland 10%
Strongly agree
23%
24%
Tend to agree
8% 5%
35%
48%
Is relevant to people like me - Wales
9% 5%
23%
53%
Is easy to understand - Scotland
Is relevant to people like me - Scotland
24%
36%
38%
43%
31%
36%
1%
7%3%
1%
10%4%
17%
7% 5%
20%
22%
20%
5%4%
11%
11%
Neither/nor
Base 1256
“Buy, Eat, Recycle”
“Buy, Eat, Recycle”- main message understanding:
What do you think this image is asking you to do?
100%
90%
17%
Other
80%
6%
Buy-Eat-Recycle / 3 point message
20%
Avoid Waste/ reduce waste/ don't waste
food/ reduce food waste
Recycle food/ recycle what you can't
eat/recycle more
Use the food you buy/ Use food sensibly
70%
60%
50%
22%
40%
30%
20%
5%
27%
10%
0%
4%
Buy what you need/ Buy sensibly/
wisely/
Plan ahead/ plan/ think ahead/be
organised
Clear understanding of main message - 27% buy what you need, 22% recycle, 20% avoid waste. Only 15
negative comments/1865, less than 1%
Base 1865
“Buy, Eat, Recycle”- message understanding detail: What do you think this image is asking you to do?
Other
Don't know
Same as before
OK/ Good
Any negative comments
Self explanatory/ message clear
Green/ environmental
Buy-Eat-Recycle / 3 point message
Avoid Waste/ reduce waste/ don't waste food/…
Eat leftovers/ serve leftovers
Eat it all/ eat all you cook
Use the food you buy/ Use food sensibly
Buy what you need/ Buy sensibly/ wisely/
Buy less/ save money
Be responsible/ careful
Be aware/think
Plan ahead/ plan/ think ahead/be organised
Total number of responses received
0
100
200
300
400
500
600 Base 1865
How much do you like or dislike this way of
communicating?
4%
5%
13%
13%
49%
51%
3%
13%
47%
Dislike a lot
Dislike a little
Like a little
Like very much
34%
31%
36%
Total
Scotland
Wales
83% say they like the “Buy, Eat, Recycle” approach – 13% are consistently negative
Base 1256
Buy eat recycle – most believe it communicates
importance of both reduction and recycling
5%
10%
5%
8%
29%
26%
3%
7%
17%
42%
36%
39%
20%
21%
29%
Would encourage me to Would encourage me to Tells me reducing food
reduce my food waste
recycle my food waste waste and recycling are
both important
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Neither/nor
71% feel that it “tells me reducing food waste and recycling are both important”, 60% say it would
encourage them to recycle and 56% say it would encourage them to reduce food waste
Base 1256
Buy eat recycle - prompted response – no real
difference by nation
Tells me reducing food waste and
recycling are both important - Wales
Tells me reducing food waste and
recycling are both important -Scotland
Would encourage me to recycle my
food waste - Wales
32%
27%
23%
41%
44%
38%
15% 8%
3%
20% 6%
4%
23% 10%5%
Would encourage me to recycle my
food waste - Scotland
19%
40%
Would encourage me to reduce my
food waste - Wales
20%
36%
27%
11%6%
Would encourage me to reduce my
food waste - Scotland
19%
37%
30%
9%5%
Strongly agree
Tend to disagree
Tend to agree
Strongly disagree
28%
7%5%
Neither/nor
Base 1256
Buy eat recycle – easy to understand but less
practical and informative
Gives me practical tips to help me
reduce my food waste
Encourages me to buy local food
12%
10% 15%
Is easy to understand
Is relevant to people like me
Tells me new information
Strongly agree
Tend to disagree
26%
28%
36%
24%
53%
25%
8% 17%
Tend to agree
Strongly disagree
22% 12%
36%
39%
32%
15%
2%
7%
1
22% 8%5%
26%
16%
Neither/nor
89% agree that it is easy to understand, 64% agree its relevant to people like me, 38% agree it gives me
practical tips. 25% feel it provides new information, while 42% disagree. ‘Encourages me to buy local food’
Base 1256
was inserted as a ‘red herring’.
Buy eat recycle - no major differences by nation
Gives me practical tips to help me reduce my food… 13%
27%
Gives me practical tips to help me reduce my food… 12%
25%
Encourages me to buy local food - Wales
10% 15%
Encourages me to buy local food - Scotland
9% 15%
27%
Is relevant to people like me - Wales
23%
Tend to agree
39%
8%
Neither/nor
18%
21%
22%
25%
23%
32%
40%
37%
42%
Tells me new information - Wales 7% 17%
Strongly agree
33%
49%
Is easy to understand - Scotland
Tells me new information - Scotland
27%
57%
Is easy to understand - Wales
Is relevant to people like me - Scotland
28%
30%
34%
Tend to disagree
20%
23%
29%
24%
11%
13%
16%
13%
7%
2%
1%
8%2%
2%
10%5%
6%6%
17%
16%
Strongly disagree
Base 1256
Overview of approaches – which is more effective:
Comparing the two images, please select the one you think is most effective for...
Tells me that recycling my food waste is more
important than reducing it
46%
54%
Tells me that reducing my food waste is more
important than recycling it
66%
34%
Tells me that preventing food waste and recycling
are both important but that preventing food waste
is better
67%
33%
Encourages me to both reduce the amount of food
I throw away AND recycle what I can't avoid
Encourages me to recycle the food waste I can't
avoid
Encourages me to reduce the amount of food I
throw away
61%
48%
39%
52%
65%
Cycle diagram
35%
"Buy, Eat, Recycle"
The cycle diagram is more effective than “Buy Eat Recycle” for combined messages. 2/3 feel that the cycle
encourages me to reduce the amount of food I throw away and tells me that preventing food waste and
Base 1256
recycling are both important but that preventing food waste is better
Comparing approaches – no real differences by nation
Tells me that recycling my food waste is more important than
reducing it - Wales
Tells me that recycling my food waste is more important than
reducing it - Scotland
Tells me that reducing my food waste is more important than
recycling it - Wales
Tells me that reducing my food waste is more important than
recycling it -Scotland
Tells me that preventing food waste and recycling are both
important but that preventing food waste is better -Wales
Tells me that preventing food waste and recycling are both
important but that preventing food waste is better - Scotland
Encourages me to both reduce the amount of food I throw
away AND recycle what I can't avoid -Wales
Encourages me to both reduce the amount of food I throw
away AND recycle what I can't avoid - Scotland
46%
54%
46%
54%
64%
36%
68%
32%
66%
34%
68%
32%
59%
63%
41%
37%
Encourages me to recycle the food waste I can't avoid - Wales
49%
51%
Encourages me to recycle the food waste I can't avoid Scotland
Encourages me to reduce the amount of food I throw away Wales
Encourages me to reduce the amount of food I throw away Scotland
48%
52%
Cycle diagram
63%
66%
"Buy, Eat, Recycle"
37%
34%
Base 1256
Which of the following true facts would make you
try to throw less food away are most motivating?
Single most important:
Recycled food that can't be eaten is used to
make fertiliser and biogas
Food waste harms the environment wastes energy, fuel and water that went
into producing it and produces methane,…
Food waste costs Scottish homes the
equivalent of £35 a month /Food waste
costs UK homes the equivalent of £50 a…
In Scotland, we throw away more food from
our homes than packaging every year /In
the UK, we throw away more food from…
Two thirds of food and drink waste could
have been avoided if we had eaten it in
time or cooked the right amount
Wales
Scotland
8%
7%
7%
13%
19%
16%
39%
36%
38%
9%
15%
12%
31%
23%
27%
Total
Cost remains the key motivator followed by the fact that 2/3 of food waste could have been eaten Base 1256
Which of the following true facts would make you
try to throw less food away are most motivating?
2 next most likely:
Recycled food that can't be eaten is used to make
fertiliser and biogas
24%
23%
23%
Food waste harms the environment - wastes energy,
fuel and water that went into producing it and produces
methane, a damaging gas, when it rots in landfill.
Food waste costs Scottish homes the equivalent of £35
a month /Food waste costs UK homes the equivalent of
£50 a month
In Scotland, we throw away more food from our homes
than packaging every year /In the UK, we throw away
more food from our homes than packaging every year
Two thirds of food and drink waste could have been
avoided if we had eaten it in time or cooked the right
amount
40%
38%
39%
Wales
31%
33%
32%
Scotland
Total
41%
44%
42%
40%
40%
40%
At a secondary level, the volume of food waste relative to packaging and environmental
harm are of more interest than end uses of recycled food waste
Base 1256
What type of information would you find most
useful to help you reduce and recycle food waste?
Information to show me how reducing food waste
is good for the environment
Information to show me how reducing food waste
can save me money
Facts to show what happens to recycled food
waste
A combined guide to help you reduce food waste
AND recycle food you can't eat
Tips to help you reduce food waste
How to use any food waste recycling collection
service (if one is available in your area)
Very useful
Quite useful
Not very useful
34%
48%
50%
38%
31%
6% 3 21
47%
42%
12%
42%
45%
33%
10% 4 2 2
8% 3 3 2
43%
42%
Not at all useful
5 23
6% 3 21
11%
Don't know
42
8
N/A
88% would value information to show how reducing food waste can save money, 88% would
find reduction tips useful and 84% would find a combined guide useful
Base 1256
What type of information would you find most
useful to help you reduce and recycle food waste?
Information on the environment - Wales
Information on the environment - Scotland
1%
2%4%
2%
2%
3%
11%
10%
Information to save money - Wales
Information to save money - Scotland
1%
2%
3% 6%
2%
1%3% 6%
Facts on food waste - Wales
Facts on food waste - Scotland
1%
2% 6%
3%
2%
4%
A combined guide - Wales
A combined guide - Scotland
Tips to help - Wales
Tips to help - Scotland
How to use - Wales
How to use - Scotland
1%3%
3%
3%
2%
3%
47%
35%
49%
34%
37%
51%
39%
48%
N/A
12%
12%
32%
31%
9%
47%
Not at all useful
45%
39%
1%
1%3% 6%
2%
2%4%6%
2%
3% 7%
Don't know
40% 44%
8%
2%4%
5%
47%
Not very useful
Quite useful
Very useful
42% 47%
44%
43%
14%
13%
33%
33%
43%
41%
Similarities between responses. Slight increase on Scottish residents indicating that information on how to
use recycling services would not be applicable, which coincides with access to collection services
Base 1256
What type of information would you find most
useful to help you reduce and recycle food waste?
Respondents who never or very occasionally use their food waste recycling collection service
Information to show me how reducing food
waste is good for the environment
18%
Information to show me how reducing food
waste can save me money
Facts to show what happens to recycled food
waste
A combined guide to help you reduce food
waste AND recycle food you can’t eat
Very useful
Quite useful
19%
33%
19%
6%
29%
15%
Not very useful
12% 6% 1%
47%
53%
23%
Tips to help you reduce food waste
How to use any food waste recycling collection
service
44%
8% 8% 3%1%
13%
16%
50%
45%
Not at all useful
10% 4% 1%
9% 5% 1%
10% 7%3%1%
23%
Don't know
10% 5%2%
N/A
Only 15% of those who never/very occasionally use the food waste recycling collection would find “how to
recycle” information very useful. Conversely 1 /3 would value reduction information to save money
Base 157
What type of information would you find most
useful to help you reduce and recycle food waste?
Respondents who throw away quite a lot or a reasonable amount of uneaten food
Information to show me how reducing food waste is
good for the environment
Information to show me how reducing food waste
can save me money
Facts to show what happens to recycled food waste
A combined guide to help you reduce food waste
AND recycle food you can’t eat
Tips to help you reduce food waste
How to use any food waste recycling collection
service
Very useful
Quite useful
Not very useful
40%
48%
59%
40%
50%
33%
45%
Not at all useful
323
9
39%
41%
Don't know
212
4 211
7
37%
56%
45%
7
112
311
7
21 4
N/A
Among those who say they throw away a lot of uneaten food, 59% would welcome information to show how
reducing food waste can save money and 56% would welcome tips to reduce food waste
Base 189
Communications channels
What are the best places to communicate
information about reducing and recycling food
waste to you?
Prompts in the kitchen
24%
10%
66%
Posters in the supermarket
25%
10%
65%
Information on product packaging
22%
Sticker on food waste recycling container
14%
Leaflet sent to home
13%
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter)
Website
Reduce food waste
16%
62%
28%
58%
13%
74%
13% 11%
76%
14% 7%
Recycle food waste
79%
Both reduce and recyle
There is an overwhelming preference for combined messages across all channels – 8 in 10 want
combined messages on a website, 3/4 on a leaflet and 2/3 on prompts in the kitchen
Base 1256
What are the best places to communicate
information about reducing and recycling food
waste to you?
Those respondents who DO NOT have a food
Those respondents who DO have a food waste recycling collection
Prompts in the kitchen
23%
Posters in the supermarket
25%
Information on product packaging
23%
Sticker on food waste recycling
container
16%
66%
24%
9%
68%
11%
64%
24%
7%
69%
16%
61%
11%
27%
57%
Leaflet sent to home
14% 14%
72%
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter)
14% 11%
75%
14% 8%
78%
Website
Reduce food waste
waste recycling collection
Recycle food waste
20%
17%
7%
11%
64%
33%
12%
60%
78%
10% 8%
82%
11% 6%
83%
Both reduce and recyle
There is no overall difference between those respondents who have access to a food waste recycling service compared to the total
number of respondents. However, for respondents without a food waste recycling service, there is a preference for recycling
messages to be reinforced at the point of recycling, indicating a greater preference for them to appear on food waste recycling
containers.
Base 1256
Stickers on food waste recycling containers
would be a good place to communicate a
reduction message:
Do you have a food waste recycling collection and what are stickers on food waste
recycling containers best for communication information about...
Don’t
know
11%
37%
52%
Reduce food waste
No
7%
33%
60%
Recycle food waste
Both Reduce AND
recycle food waste
Yes
16%
27%
57%
Those who have a food waste recycling service are receptive to receiving messages about
the reduction of food waste on their food waste recycling containers
Base 1256
What are the best places to communicate
information about reducing and recycling food
waste to you? - location
Prompts in the kitchen - Scotland
Prompts in the kitchen - Wales
10%
11%
24%
24%
Posters in the supermarket - Scotland
Posters in the supermarket - Wales
9%
11%
24%
25%
Information on product packaging - Scotland
Information on product packaging - Wales
67%
64%
61%
62%
17% 22%
16% 22%
Sticker on food waste recycling container - Scotland
Sticker on food waste recycling container - Wales
14%
14%
Leaflet sent to home - Scotland
Leaflet sent to home - Wales
14%
13%
12%
14%
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter) - Scotland
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter) - Wales
10%14%
11%
12%
Website - Scotland
Website - Wales
66%
65%
7%
8%
Both reduce and recyle
57%
59%
29%
27%
73%
74%
77%
76%
80%
78%
13%
14%
Recycle food waste
Reduce food waste
Base 1256
What are the best places to communicate
information about reducing and recycling food
waste to you? - SEG
Prompts in the kitchen - DE
Prompts in the kitchen - AB
Posters in the supermarket - DE
Posters in the supermarket - AB
10%
12%
23%
24%
10%
11%
26%
23%
Information on product packaging - DE
Information on product packaging - AB
Sticker on food waste recycling container - DE
Sticker on food waste recycling container - AB
Leaflet sent to home - DE
Leaflet sent to home - AB
16%
15%
64%
66%
61%
64%
23%
22%
20%
17%
12%
67%
64%
63%
34%
53%
74%
72%
10% 15%
13%
15%
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter) - DE
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter) - AB
10% 16%
9%11%
Website - DE
Website - AB
8%
16%
6% 11%
Both reduce and recyle
Recycle food waste
74%
80%
77%
83%
Reduce food waste
Different SEG respond to different messages. A further recycling prompt framed in a new way may encourage AB groups to
recycle more. Whilst using online channels are effective in targeting reduction messages to DE groups
Base 648
Summary and conclusions
Summary – attitudes and behaviours

Almost all in Wales and 6 in 10 in Scotland have access to a food waste collection service

3/4 claim to use the food waste collection at least most of the time - higher in Wales and
among older audiences who are more environmentally aware

12% never use the service in either nation – highest among those aged 25 – 34, those who
don’t believe the environment is important and conversely those who do believe prevention is
important and have limited uneaten food

2/3 say using the collection has increased awareness of food waste and just over half say
they try to throw away less (rising to 62% among the most environmentally aware and 60%
of those with 1 or 2 children).

Prevention is equally or more important than recycling. 50% believe both are equally
important and 43% believe its more important to prevent food waste than to recycle it.
The vast majority understand the waste hierarchy and there is strong evidence that access to a recycling
service is a key trigger point to influence food waste reduction behaviour.
Summary – attitudes and behaviours

Effort to reduce food waste is highest among those who use the collection every time (76% agree
strongly) and those who say the collection has increased awareness of food waste and try to throw
away less (77%)

Agreement that “Recycling food waste is good, preventing food waste is better” is also highest
among those who use the food waste collection every time (81%), those who say the collection has
increased awareness of food waste and try to throw away less (81%)

4 in 10 believe that food waste is not a problem as it breaks down in landfill , rising to 76% among
those who say that neither reducing food waste or recycling are important to me
The vast majority understand the waste hierarchy and there is strong evidence that access to a recycling
service is a key trigger point to influence food waste reduction behaviour.
Summary – message and channel preference

The personal cost of food waste remains the fact of most interest followed by the fact
that 2/3 of food waste could have been eaten.

The volume of food waste relative to packaging and environmental harm are of more
interest than end uses of recycled food waste

Financial messages are key to all groups - 88% would value information to show how
reducing food waste can save money

Tips on reducing food waste are useful to all – 88% would find reduction tips useful, and
56% of those who throw away a lot of uneaten food would find tips ‘very useful’.

Information on using recycle collection services is seen as less useful than prevention
information – only 15% of those who never/very occasionally use their recycling
collection service would find “how to recycle” information very useful. Conversely 1 /3
would value reduction information to save money
Saving money by reducing food waste is the key hook for all audiences and is of significantly more
interest than recycling information. There is no evidence that combined messages cause any confusion
as they are a natural fit.
Summary – message and channel preference

There is an overwhelming preference for combined messages across all channels

84% would find a combined reduce and recycle guide useful

8 in 10 want combined messages on a website, 3/4 on a leaflet and 2/3 on prompts in
the kitchen
Saving money by reducing food waste is the key hook for all audiences and is of significantly more
interest than recycling information. There is no evidence that combined messages cause any confusion
as they are a natural fit.
Summary – reactions to approaches
Food cycle diagram

Clear understanding of main message

Clear understanding of main message:

25% reduce waste

27% buy what you need,

16% buy what you need

22% recycle

11% recycle

20% reduce waste

13% plan ahead.

87% say they like this approach – 13% are
consistently negative

76% feel that it “tells me reducing food waste
and recycling are both important”, 64% say it
would encourage them to recycle, 64% say it
would encourage them to reduce food waste

Buy Eat Recycle
86% agree that it is easy to understand, 70%
agree its relevant to people like me, 62% agree
it gives me practical tips. 35% feel it provides
new information

83% say they like this approach – 13% are
consistently negative

71% feel that it “tells me reducing food waste
and recycling are both important”, 60% say it
would encourage them to recycle and 56% say
it would encourage them to reduce food waste

89% agree that it is easy to understand, 64%
agree its relevant to people like me, 38%
agree it gives me practical tips. 25% feel it
provides new information
The cycle diagram is more effective than “Buy Eat Recycle” for combined messages. 2/3 feel that the
cycle “encourages me to reduce the amount of food I throw away” and “tells me that preventing food
waste and recycling are both important but that preventing food waste is better”