ASHS 2025 Conference

Background: In the US, roughly one-third of food is wasted, with 37% of that waste occurring in homes. EPA estimates households discard 6.5 pounds weekly. Household food waste is difficult to study because it occurs in the privacy of homes. Citizen science is a research method that enlists community members to collect in real-world conditions in contexts that researchers do not have access. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to collect primary data on households food waste, the primary reasons people generate food waste, the types of packaging households typically discard, and individuals’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about food waste. Methods: A total of 159 citizen scientists (86 Alachua County, 73 Sarasota County) recorded data on their household food waste for 14 days, including recording the total daily weight, types of food discarded, types of food packaging discarded, and reasons for food and packaging waste. Results: A total of 3,823 pounds of compostable food waste was discarded by citizen scientists in two-week period. Households in our study discarded more than 14 pounds of food waste per week, more than double EPA estimates. Fruits and vegetables are the food groups that create the most food waste, with an average of 2.7 servings of fruit and 8.5 servings of vegetables discarded per household over the two-week period. Dinner yielded the most food waste, with household having an average of 36 servings of food wasted at dinner. More than 90% of participants rely on date labels to determine if food is safe to eat, 86% discarded food because it was “old,” and 69% discarded food because of blemishes/damage. Discussion: This multi-county citizen science study provides an initial look at the sources of food and packaging waste in Florida households, and highlights opportunities for future Educational programs focused on how to store and prepare fresh produce could reduce the largest source of household food waste to help address this global problem at the household level.