What are the implications of food waste? Who is responsible for controlling food waste?

[Name of the Institute]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First, I thank my project supervisor Anne Robbins, for her wonderful support and guidance from the initial to the final level of the research project work. She enabled me to develop a great understanding to the topic. She was always there to listen and to give me advices. She showed me different ways to approach the research goal.

I also would like to thanks the module co-ordinator Slim Khan, the library stuff and my family for their love and encouragement throughout this long period of my absence. I should give special warm thanks to my mum for her patient, love and support. Till this moment she is my constant inspiration. Without her encouragement and constant guidance throughout the year, I could not have finished my dissertation.

May Allah bless you All!!

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this dissertation is to present a research strategy plan to investigate that what are the implications of food waste and who is responsible for controlling food waste in households of United Kingdom. Using the desk research or secondary research method, the research investigated various existing and published literature, reports and case studies on food waste in UK, who is responsible for it and what could be the implications to control food waste. The findings of the study suggested that food waste is the major problem for UK on households' level that constitutes the 50% of the total food waste being arisen across the country. The findings of this research indicated that much of the food waste being arising in households in UK is due to lack of awareness of food waste practices, excessive buying, lack of inspection of leftover practices and lack of awareness of households with relation to reading product labels such as expiry dates, temperature in which food should be stored and making use of remnant food rather than being discarded.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSii

ABSTRACTiii

CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND1

Controversy/Debate Surrounding the Topic2

UK Household Food Waste5

CHAPTER TWO: RESEARCH STRATEGY7

Purpose of Choosing the Research Questions7

Question One: Do certain behaviours and personal life style impact the households' food waste management?7

Question Two: Do local authorities preventive and promotional efforts have a significant influence on the way people pay attention to food waste in households?9

Research Methodology11

Search Strategies12

Information Sources13

Appraisal of Information Sources14

Risks and Difficulties Associated with Information Gathering14

CHAPTER THREE: RESULTS - LOCAL AUTHORITY16

Promotional Efforts by WRAP and Local Authorities to Reduce Food Waste17

Encouraging Households to Reduce Food waste21

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS - HOUSEHOLDS24

Lifestyle and Consumption Behaviours of Households24

Demographics Characteristics of Households24

Higher Monthly Spending on Food25

No Planning Before Shopping25

Lack of Understanding of Date Labels26

Lack of Awareness of Using Meal Leftovers26

Fresh or Uneaten Food Discarded in Huge Quantity27

Types of Food Most Frequently Wasted27

Lack of Charitable Food Practices27

Households' Awareness of Food Waste Collection and Disposal Services by Local Authorities28

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION29

Evaluations of Findings in Context of Conceptual/Analytical Framework of Defra (2005)29

Impact of Behaviours and Lifestyles on Food Waste30

Local Authorities Preventive and Promotional Efforts31

CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS32

Summary32

Conclusions32

Recommendations for Practice33

1) Preventive Measures of Discarding Households Food Waste34

2) ...