Food waste and out-of-home-dining: antecedents and consequents of the decision to take away leftovers after dining at restaurants

Abstract

The rising trend of eating out has contributed noticeably to the increase in food waste generated by the hospitality sector. Therefore, it is essential to understand the drivers of food waste generation and the mitigation intentions of diners. Academic research in the area so far is fragmented, with particularly limited insights regarding the intentions to take away leftovers after dining out. The present study addresses this gap by using the theoretical lens of Behavioural Reasoning Theory (BRT) to examine the antecedents of diners' intentions to take away leftovers and how these are associated with their food over-ordering and leftover reuse routine. The hypothesised associations are tested by analysing data collected from 426 diners using a mixed-method approach. The findings suggest that moral norms are associated with reasons for and attitude towards taking away leftovers; these are further associated with intentions, which, in turn, associate positively with over-ordering behaviour. In comparison, the reasons against are negatively associated with attitude. The results also confirm the mediation effect of reasons for, attitude, and intentions on the proposed relationships and moderation effect of leftover reuse routine.