1. Insights from A global food waste perception survey
Image taken from
Number of Respondents = 50

2. Most people were taught as children not to waste food.
Almost half the sample indicated wasting food was not tolerated growing up.

3. Stories about wasting food that left a mark
“There are children starving in Africa and India…be grateful for what you have!”
Stories about children starving globally were cited the most often, 30% of the time.
“You will turn into a dog in your next life if you waste your food!”
A few (4%)indicated they were “scared” into finishing their food.
“Our school principal brought a massive trash bin full of food that had been wasted by our school after the annual class party…That really stuck with me.”
A few (4%) reported stories of seeing waste first hand.

4. 78% of the sample make it a point to finish all of their food.
91%of those who lived in households where food waste was not tolerated indicated they make it a point to finish their food.

5. Over Half (60%) indicated their waste habits don’t change depending on their company.
But over 1 in 5 indicated they were less likely to waste food in front of their parents/family.

6. How much food waste is considered socially unacceptable? Mixed results.
There were only slight variations in responses disaggregated by age, gender, and ethnicity.

7. Summary of Insights
Most people were taught not to waste food growing up.
If you grew up in a household where food waste was not tolerated, you are less likely to report wasting food.
Approximately 60% indicated their food waste behavior does NOT change based on their company
However, 21% indicated they were less likely to waste food in front of their parents/family.
People have varying perceptions on how much food is “socially acceptable” to waste.
Nearly 30% of the sample indicated that wasting any food on their plate is considered unacceptable.

8. WHO is Our sample? (1/2) Number of Participants = 50
Our sample mainly consists of year olds and the responses may not be reflective of the experiences of other age groups.

9. Who is Our Sample? (2/2)
The majority of our sample comprises of South Asians and those living in the U.S.A and may not represent the experiences of other groups.