Household food waste threatens our environment by accelerating climate change and by creating a high economic burden every year. Thus, there is an obvious necessity for understanding and thereby...Show moreHousehold food waste threatens our environment by accelerating climate change and by creating a high economic burden every year. Thus, there is an obvious necessity for understanding and thereby battling household food waste. Based on previous research on this topic conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, in which the need for cognitive closure was negatively related to food waste, this research investigated how the cognitive construct of need for closure impacts food waste intentions and food waste behavior. Further, how age influences this relationship was assessed. A sample size of 210 participants was used. The analyses did not show a significant association of need for closure with food waste intentions (B = -.11, p = .556, 95%CI [-.48, .26])); in addition, need for closure was shown to not impact the healthiness of food wasted (B = -.11, p = .556, 95%CI [-.48, .26]). Lastly, age did not impact any of these relationships. Considering previous research findings, it becomes apparent that the Covid-19 pandemic increased food waste behaviors in people with high NFC, but this effect seems to not be generalizable to the context outside of Covid-19. Furthermore, considering the difference between prevalence of food waste intentions and behavior across age, a necessity for action guidance becomes obvious among younger generations. This way, their high motivation to reduce food waste can be transformed into actual behavior to reduce global warming.Show less
