Quantification of Household Food Waste in Hungary: A Replication Study Using the FUSIONS Methodology
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Theoretical Background
2.1.1. Diverse Methods (1990s to 2014)
- Questionnaire-based survey
- Food waste diary
- Waste composition analysis
- Interview
- Mass and energy balance
- Statistics from authorities or waste management companies
- Inedible part of foodstuffs are recorded / not recorded [3]
- Differences in the definition of the avoidable (in some studies: edible) food waste category [16]
- Potentially avoidable food waste is classified / not classified as an individual category [26]
- Food made for human consumption but ultimately fed to animals is classified / not classified as food waste [39]
- The part of food eaten that exceeds physiological nutritional needs of a person is recorded / not recorded as food waste [40]
- Food packaging is recorded / not recorded [41]
2.1.2. Standardized Method (FUSIONS, 2014)
- Food waste should be recorded in a diary by household members
- A description of the food or drink waste should be given in the diary
- The amount of waste should be measured and recorded
- Throughout the fieldwork, it is suggested that the researcher maintains regular contact with each household to resolve any issues, encourage participation, and ensure the accurate completion of the diary
- The sample needs to include at least a few hundred households
2.1.3. First National-Level Study in Hungary Based on the FUSIONS Methodology
2.1.4. Discussion of the Experiences of the First Study
2.1.5. Second National-Level Study in Hungary Based on the FUSIONS Methodology
- Avoidable—food and drink thrown away that was, at some point prior to disposal, edible (e.g., slice of bread, apples, meat)
- Unavoidable—waste arising from food or drink preparation that is not, and has not been, edible under normal circumstances (e.g., meat bones, egg shells, pineapple skin, tea bags)
- Potentially avoidable: food and drink that some people eat and others do not (e.g., bread crusts), or that can be eaten when a food is prepared in one way but not in another
- Procurement of the tools for the measurement (scales and measuring glasses)
- Compilation of the questionnaire and log-book structure, maintaining the online platform for online data registration, and printing the hard copy version of the diary
- Receiving volunteer applications and answering the questions of the prospective households
- Distributing measurement tools, guides, and diaries to the participants
- Operating a call center for the participants to resolve any issues that arose during the measurement
- Online messages to keep contact with participants and maintain motivation
2.1.6. Afterlife of Research Results
2.2. Sample Description
3. Results
4. Discussion
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Sex of respondents generally responsible for food purchasing | Sample |
---|---|
Female | 83.03% |
Male | 16.97% |
Regions (NUTS1) | |
Central Hungary | 42.42% |
Transdanubia | 32.73% |
Great Plain and North | 24.85% |
Geographical location | |
Capital city (Budapest) | 27.88% |
Other city | 55.76% |
Village | 16.36% |
Household size | |
1 | 13.94% |
2 | 33.94% |
3 | 26.06% |
4 | 17.58% |
≥5 | 8.48% |
Average household size | 2.7 people |
Age of the person generally responsible for food purchasing | |
Under 30 years | 11.52% |
Between 30 and 39 years | 20.61% |
Between 40 and 59 years | 50.91% |
Above 60 years | 16.97% |
Qualification of the person generally responsible for food purchasing | |
Elementary | 6.0% |
High school graduation | 38.2% |
Higher education | 61.2% |
Income level of the household | |
Low | 1.21% |
Below average | 14.55% |
Average | 65.45% |
Above average | 16.97% |
Very high | 1.82% |
Food Waste Categories | Amount of Waste of 165 Households during the One-Week Period (kg) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Solid | Liquid | Total = Solid + Liquid | |
Unavoidable food waste | 239.33 | 7.19 | 246.52 |
Potentially avoidable food waste | 17.40 | 3.27 | 20.67 |
Avoidable food waste | 218.27 | 47.29 | 265.56 |
Total food waste | 475.00 | 57.75 | 532.75 |
Food Waste Categories | Extrapolated Data for One Year per Capita (kg) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Solid | Liquid | Total = Solid + Liquid | |
Unavoidable food waste | 29.91 (51.08%) | 0.90 (12.99%) | 30.81 (47.04%) |
Potentially avoidable food waste | 2.30 (3.93%) | 0.42 (6.06%) | 2.72 (4.16%) |
Avoidable food waste | 26.35 (45.00%) | 5.61 (80.95%) | 31.97 (48.81%) |
Total food waste | 58.56 (100.00%) | 6.93 (100.00%) | 65.49 (100.00%) |
Avoidable Food Waste | Total Weight | Proportion (%) |
---|---|---|
Meals (home-made and ready-to-eat) | 118.80 | 44.74 |
Bakery products | 46.79 | 17.62 |
Fresh vegetables | 26.55 | 10.00 |
Dairy products | 21.12 | 7.95 |
Fresh fruits | 20.03 | 7.54 |
Mineral water, soft drinks, coffee, tea | 6.93 | 2.61 |
Canned foods, pickles | 5.37 | 2.02 |
Processed animal products | 4.77 | 1.80 |
Grain products (flour, semolina, oat) | 4.25 | 1.60 |
Raw meat | 4.06 | 1.53 |
Sauces, toppings (ketchup, mustard, salad dressings) mayonnaise) | 2.87 | 1.08 |
Marmalades, jams | 1.37 | 0.52 |
Confectionery, snacks | 1.20 | 0.45 |
Yeast, muesli, corn flakes, raisins, puffed rice, baking mixtures | 0.77 | 0.29 |
Eggs | 0.49 | 0.19 |
Frozen meats, vegetables | 0.10 | 0.04 |
Fats (butter, margarine, lard, etc.) | 0.08 | 0.03 |
Packed spices (rosemary, marjoram, parsley, etc.) | 0.01 | 0.01 |
Total | 265.56 | 100.00 |
Food Waste Categories | 2019 | 2016 |
---|---|---|
Unavoidable food waste | 47.05% | 47.13% |
Potentially avoidable food waste | 4.15% | 4.16% |
Avoidable food waste | 48.82% | 48.70% |
Total food waste | 100.00% | 100.00% |
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Kasza, G.; Dorkó, A.; Kunszabó, A.; Szakos, D. Quantification of Household Food Waste in Hungary: A Replication Study Using the FUSIONS Methodology. Sustainability 2020, 12, 3069. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083069
Kasza G, Dorkó A, Kunszabó A, Szakos D. Quantification of Household Food Waste in Hungary: A Replication Study Using the FUSIONS Methodology. Sustainability. 2020; 12(8):3069. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083069
Chicago/Turabian StyleKasza, Gyula, Annamária Dorkó, Atilla Kunszabó, and Dávid Szakos. 2020. "Quantification of Household Food Waste in Hungary: A Replication Study Using the FUSIONS Methodology" Sustainability 12, no. 8: 3069. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083069