COMBINE: Combining interventions to reduce consumer food waste through collaboration and innovation

COMBINE is a research project addressing consumer food waste across schools, workplace canteens, and homes in France, Finland, Italy, and Portugal. The goal is simple: to evaluate and implement effective intervention combinations that foster positive behavioural changes and reduce food waste.

Why is this important? Consumer FW in households accounts for a concerning 53% of total food waste in the EU. By addressing this issue, COMBINE not only promotes sustainability but also opens up economic and ecological benefits throughout the entire food supply chain.

COMBINE addresses the key challenges that were identified within past projects like Refresh and aims to establish a holistic and collaborative strategy by working with a variety of stakeholders, including NGOs, private companies, municipalities, universities, and schools. Through that, it is possible to design tailored interventions that resonate with consumers' diverse environments and lifestyles.

Key to COMBINE’s success is the combination of interventions. By integrating various approaches such as training, education, social norms, and nudges, COMBINE seeks to address consumers' motivations, opportunities, and abilities to reach meaningful change in food management practices.

Furthermore, COMBINE is committed to evidence-based solutions – conducting comprehensive food waste diagnoses, segmenting consumers, and evaluating interventions using established frameworks. Through tools like FW measurement protocols and Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) surveys, insights are gathered before, during, and after interventions to shape COMBINE’s strategies and maximise impact.

EUFIC will carry out a food waste consumer survey in 8 EU countries that will be leveraged for interventions on awareness raising, segmenting consumers, and comparing attitudes towards food waste across countries, for instance. The results and learnings from these surveys will also be used to inform the COMBINE activities.

Stephan Kampshoff, Collaborative Projects – Project Manager (stephan.kampshoff@eufic.org)

Dina Levinson, Collaborative Projects – Junior Manager (dina.levinson@eufic.org)

Dr Betty Chang, Research – Area Lead (betty.chang@eufic.org)

Dr Katerina Palascha, Research – Senior Manager (katerina.palascha@eufic.org)

LinkedIn: @SciFoodHealth

Twitter: @SciFoodHealth