The impact of municipal household waste charges and separate collection of food waste on food waste-related behaviors

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the impact of municipal household waste charges and separate collection of food waste on food waste-related behaviors. A survey was conducted targeting residents of municipalities implementing household waste charges (Chigasaki City, Handa City, Hatsukaichi City), municipalities implementing separate collection of food waste (Toyohashi City, Nagaoka City, Joetsu City), and a national control group. Covariates were adjusted using propensity score matching, and the frequency of food waste and the level of food waste reduction behaviour among residents were compared. The results revealed that the frequency of food waste among residents in municipalities with household waste charges or food waste separation policies was similar to or higher than that of residents nationwide. Furthermore, there was no consistent evidence that residents in these municipalities exhibited higher levels of food waste reduction behaviors. While there are limitations in discussing behavior changes due to the lack of pre- and post-implementation comparisons, this study suggests that the actual impact of these policies on residents' food waste-related behaviors is small.