Beyond the Bin: The Influence of Motivation, Opportunity, and Ability on Food Waste Behavior in Households

This study examined household food waste behavior building upon a framework that integrates the motivation-opportunity-ability model (MOA), the theory of planned behavior (TPB), and norm activation model (NAM) enriched with insights from social practices theory (SPT). Using a dual-country sample (Germany and South Africa), an online survey (n = 1065) measured how motivation, opportunity, and ability drive self-reported food waste behavior. The results show that the ability to reduce food waste, that is, habits and perceived and actual knowledge, unfold a strong influence on reported food waste behavior. Quite surprisingly, motivation to engage in food waste reduction, due to attitude, values, and ascription of responsibility, has the lowest impact on reported food waste behavior. Our findings enhance the current understanding of food waste drivers and highlight the significance of socio-psychological determinants of behavior, specifically ability and habits. The implications for both research and practical applications are discussed.