What the study found: Food waste patterns among Generation Z (people aged 18-24) differed across the five countries studied, and the extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (a model used to explain intentions) predicted intentions to reduce food waste.
Why the authors say this matters: The authors say the behavioural determinants identified in the study can inform targeted interventions for young consumers.
What the researchers tested: The study used a mixed-methods approach with 330 Generation Z participants from Italy, Estonia, Croatia, Romania, and Serbia. It combined 7-day food waste diaries, visual plate-waste analysis, and self-administered questionnaires, and extended the Theory of Planned Behaviour with moral social values, awareness of health risks, and good provider identity.
What worked and what didn't: Food recognition analysis showed that Estonian participants wasted less food per meal than participants from the other countries. Nationality-specific patterns were also reported: Romanians mainly discarded meat and potatoes; participants from Estonia, Croatia, and Serbia wasted fruit and vegetables; and Italians most frequently wasted fish and dairy.
What to keep in mind: The abstract does not describe study limitations in detail. The findings are limited to the 330 Generation Z participants from the five European countries included in this study.
Key points
- The study found that food waste patterns differed across Generation Z participants in five European countries.
- Estonian participants wasted less food per meal than participants from Italy, Serbia, Croatia, and Romania.
- Romanians mainly discarded meat and potatoes, while participants from Estonia, Croatia, and Serbia wasted fruit and vegetables.
- Italians most frequently wasted fish and dairy.
- The extended Theory of Planned Behaviour predicted intentions to reduce food waste.
- The authors say the behavioural determinants identified may help inform targeted interventions for young consumers.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Generation Z food waste varied across five European countries
- Authors:
- Neven Voća, Francesco Donsì, Mirela Alina Sandu, Viktoria Voronova, Jana Šic Žlabur, Giovanni De Feo, Ana Vîrsta, Marija Klõga, Jelena Lubura, Anamarija Peter, Gina Vasile Scăețeanu, Sanja Ostojić, Ivan Brandić, Gianpiero Pataro, Dario Balaban, Darko Micić, Jona Šurić, Saša Đurović, Alessandra Procentese, Lato Pezo
- Institutions:
- University of Zagreb, University of Salerno, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Tallinn University of Technology, University of Novi Sad, University of Belgrade, Institute of General and Physical Chemistry, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-13
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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