Understanding the potential of mobile applications to reduce household food waste
On 25 September 2024, at the Retaste Conference, LOWINFOOD partner Nina Mesiranta (Tampere University) presented the results of the study carried out to assess the potential of mobile applications to reduce household food waste, in this case focusing on the CozZo app.
The occurrence and prevention of food waste in households results from intertwined food management practices and routines, such as planning purchases, shopping, storing and cooking food, as well as managing leftovers and surplus. Mobile applications have the potential to reduce food waste at the household level, and this was the aim of the study conducted by the partners at the University of Tampere: to explore households’ experiences with the CozZo application and to identify strengths and challenges.
A total of 52 households in Austria, Finland and Greece tested the CozZo application in their everyday life for a period of 3-6 weeks, and their experiences were collected through personal interviews and online questionnaires at the end of the testing period.
Results indicate that participation in the intervention resulted in an average 43% reduction in FW. The identified strengths of the app included increased overall awareness of food waste in the household, improved shopping planning through shopping lists, improved awareness of items in stock at home and items that were about to expire, and inspiring ideas for using surplus and leftover food. Challenges were related to the amount of work required by users to use the app, the estimation of product spoilage, and the overall perceived value of the app (people usually do not want technology in their kitchen).
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