What is the current impact on food waste and food packaging waste on college campuses based on college students' consumption habits?
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My Research Proposal Goals
My Research Proposal Goals
Analyzing a portion of Grand Valley students will help me understand the overall impacts on disposable food product waste on the college level.
The goal is to find and implement initiatives to reduce food waste and improper food disposal as well as solutions to lower the single use packaging in college students.
Food Disposal & Single Use Packaging
Food Disposal & Single Use Packaging
Disposable packaging of most college students' diets includes things like individually wrapped granola bars or coffee in single use plastic cups.
“For policy to improve waste sorting behavior…level of incentives should be increased” ( Xia 2021).
How is waste management is performed on a national level to pinpoint possible patterns that are occurring on the college level as well?
What are some of these incentives or shifts that need to occur to lower the use of single use packaging?
Planned Behavior
Planned Behavior
The theory of planned behavior is the framework in which I have structured my research proposal. It helps to explain the habits that are unknowingly happening when using single use products and improper food disposal.
The factors that go into intentional actions are attitude and behavior; These may include mindset, beliefs, habits, previous connections and more.
Planned behavior helps to explain the habits that are unknowingly happening when using single use products as well as disposing of waste properly.
A behavioral shift is necessary to alter this planned behavior mindset and instill better practices on waste disposal specifically.
Triangulation in My Research Collection:
Triangulation in My Research Collection:
Surveys
Surveys
Collecting participant opinions and thoughts on food waste through surveys including open and ended questions.
Finding patterns such as how do habits correlate to the observations.
Observations
Observations
Analyzing actions of food product and waste disposal habits through observations/focus groups to comparing findings to associations made within survey.
Patterns can be observed, and suggestions and implementations are great ways to alter these physiological connections.
Habits
Habits
Analyzing daily habits of packing food in reusable containers as opposed to on-the-go single use options.
Viewing this as habitual behavior or just a convenience.
Behavior Growth Diagram
Behavior Growth Diagram
This model demonstrates how we can adapt college students' habits.
The purple circle represents the student on their path to adopting these better habits into their daily routine.
The arrows are demonstrating the steps necessary in this process.
Physics helps us to understand that it takes an alternative source to make the ball move up the steps.
Those alternative forces could be advertising, initiatives, word of mouth, or education on the importance of reusable food products in combating food waste to help the ball advance up the steps.
The benefit of this model shows that every student can adapt at a different pace depending on what alternative source affects them to progress up the steps. No matter the physics, each student has potential for the same end result.
The end result is being more conscientious of the disposal of food packaging and food waste.
References
References
Allison, A., Lorencatto, F., Miodownik, M., Michie, S. (2021). Influences on single-use and reusable cup use: a multidisciplinary mixed-methods approach to designing interventions reducing plastic waste. UCL Open Environment. UCL Press. https://ucl.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000025
Conner, M. (2020). “Theory of Planned Behavior.” In Handbook of Sport Psychology, Fourth Edition (pages 1-18). Edt Tenenbaum, G and Eklund, R.C.Wiley Online Library. (April 2020). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119568124.ch1
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Kwon, S., Bednar, C. M., Kwon, J., & Bush, R. M. (2010). An investigation of college and university foodservice administraror’s perceptions of food waste reduction activities and food waste disposal methods. Journal of Foodservice Management & Education, Vol. 4(Issue 1), Pages 16-21. https://krex.k-state.edu/bitstream/handle/2097/12167/KwonJFME2010.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Nargund-Joshi, Vanashri, and Jean S. Lee. “How Much Trash Do You Trash?” Science and Children 50, no. 7 (2013): 50–55. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43176478.
Nyumba, T.O., Wilson, K, Derrick, C.J., and Mukherjee, N. “The use of focus group discussion methodology: Insights from two decades of application in conservation.” Methods in Ecology and Evolution. (January 2018). https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12860
Preiser, R., Schluter, M., Biggs, R., Mancilla Garica, M., Haider, J., Hertz, T., Klein, L. (2021). “Complexity-based social-ecological systems research: Philosophical foundations and practical implications.” In The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods for Social-Ecological Systems (pages 27-46). New York: Routledge. https://ezproxy.gvsu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=nlebk&AN=2744176&site=eds-live&scope=site
Situmorang, RO. P., Liang, T., & Chang, S. (2020). The difference of knowledge and behavior of college students on plastic waste problems. MDPI Sustainability, Vol. 12(Issue 19). https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/19/7851
Smyth, Danielle P., Fredeen, Arthur L, & Booth, Annie L. (2010). Reducing solid waste in higher education: The first step towards ‘greening’ a university campus. Science Direct, Vol.54 (Issue 11) Pages 1007-1016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2010.02.008
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Wang, J, Mingyue L., Sinan L., and Chen K. 2022. “Understanding Consumers’ Food Waste Reduction Behavior-A Study Based on Extended Norm Activation Theory.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 19, No. 7: 4187. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074187
Whitechair, K. J. (2011). Investigation of strategies to decrease food waste in college and university foodservice. Kansas State University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://www.proquest.com/openview/8b6bc9805b2124dcfda214db10e06959/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750
Xia, Z., Zhang, S., Tian, X., & Liu, Y. (2021). Understanding waste sorting behavior and key influencing factors through internet of things: Evidence from college student community. Science Direct, Vol. 174. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344921003840
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