Behavioural Research · 2024
Through Ups
& Downs
Using Real-Time Feedback to Reduce Food Waste
How can simple, real-time feedback influence everyday sustainability behaviours?
In collaboration with UBC Food Services and the UBC SEEDS Sustainability Program, our team designed and evaluated a behavioural intervention at UBC’s Open Kitchen dining hall. We explored whether displaying daily changes in food waste, paired with a normative prompt, could encourage students to waste less food.
The Challenge
UBC introduced an all-access dining model that created new challenges around post-consumer food waste. Our goal was to investigate whether an inexpensive, scalable behavioural intervention could help diners make more conscious food-waste decisions.
What We Did
- Designed two real-time feedback interventions showing whether food waste had increased or decreased compared with the previous day.
- Conducted a 14-day field experiment at UBC’s Open Kitchen dining hall.
- Collected observational data from 1,364 diners using a standardized food-waste behaviour scale.
- Compared intervention data with a 14-day pre-intervention baseline.
- Conducted a post-study survey with 95 participants to evaluate awareness of the intervention.
- Applied statistical analysis including Mann–Whitney U tests, correlation analysis, and inter-rater reliability testing.
Key Finding
Average reduction in food waste during the intervention period.
The combination of real-time numerical feedback and a normative prompt produced a statistically significant reduction in post-consumer food waste compared with the baseline period.
Interestingly, whether the signage showed an increase or decrease in waste did not significantly change participant behaviour. This suggested that consistently making waste visible may matter more than whether the feedback itself is positive or negative.
My Contribution
As an undergraduate researcher, I contributed across the full research process—from experimental design and field data collection to quantitative analysis and communicating the findings.
- Supported the design of the behavioural intervention and research methodology.
- Conducted on-site observations and collected participant data.
- Cleaned, organized, and analyzed quantitative data.
- Interpreted statistical results and translated them into practical recommendations.
- Co-authored the final research report for UBC Food Services.
- Presented the project at the UBC SEEDS Student-Led Research Showcase.
Outcome & Recommendations
Based on our findings, we recommended that UBC continue using real-time food-waste feedback and expand reporting across its first-year dining halls.
We also proposed improving food-waste tracking, separating unavoidable waste, and collecting longer-term data to better understand how dining choices and seasonal patterns influence waste behaviour.