Sociala kretsars påverkan på matsvinnsbeteende

Sammanfattning: How we manage resources, in this case food, based on our culture is the core interest of human ecology. According to systems analysist Donella Meadows, cultural factors, i.e. our mindset, are the most difficult intervention points to access for system change - but also the most effective. This essay examines through a survey and a smaller experiment how prescribed norms and attitudes of social circles correlate with high school students' plate waste in Helsingborg, Sweden. The results indicate that the attitude of close relationships (parents) correlates well with students' attitude towards food waste, while the attitude of weaker relations (canteen staff) has a weaker correlation. Overall there is a lack of conversation about food waste between high school students and their friends. Stronger negative attitudes towards food waste and good logistics in school canteens correlated with less estimated amounts of plate waste when students were studied in groups. However, when the schools were separated to see if the findings could explain the different schools' amount of plate waste, logistics was not as important of a factor. The conclusion is, unsurprisingly, that many factors play into food waste behavior which means different measures are needed at different schools in Helsingborg to decrease plate waste.