How Can Food Businesses Target Zero Waste Consumers During a Pandemic?

Abstract

One goal of the United Nation's key sustainable development is to ensure sustainable consumption and production habits. In particular, the United Nation's target 12.5 aims at substantially reducing “waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse by 2030” (United Nations, 2022). This strategy goes hand in hand with the so-called “Zero Waste” concept where waste is reduced as much as possible. Zero Waste has gained increasing attention in production technology and waste management literature. Interestingly, the concept has also become more and more popular with consumers in recent years. Indeed, environmentally conscious consumers increasingly make efforts to reduce their waste production by changing their lifestyles accordingly (Săplăcan & Márton, 2019), such as bringing their own bags for grocery shopping or using their own coffee-to-go mugs when filling coffee in cafés. These Zero Waste practices become particularly popular with consumers in the food industry. By investigating the Zero Waste practices within the food industry, this research will demonstrate how companies develop business ideas to address this consumption trend. Specifically, it shows both challenges and opportunities companies face when targeting Zero Waste consumers. Moreover, the chapter analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Zero Waste consumption patterns in the food industry and proposes strategies how food companies can respond effectively to these changes. Finally, the research provides practical recommendations to companies on how to implement Zero Waste practices to appeal to environmental conscious Zero Waste consumers.

Citation

Hattula, C. (2022), "How Can Food Businesses Target Zero Waste Consumers During a Pandemic?", Berrones-Flemmig, C.N., Contreras, F. and Dornberger, U. (Ed.) Business in the 21st Century, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 191-201. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-787-220221015