A field study on the reduction of household grain waste: The effects of social norms and measuring cups

Household food waste has a significant impact on the environment and to diminish this, understanding the effectiveness of different types of interventions, alone and in combination, is key. To better understand what makes waste-reduction interventions effective, we need to disentangle different intervention components. This study aims to contribute to existing knowledge by using the Motivation, Opportunity and Ability framework in guiding effective intervention development. In a two-by-two between subjects field study (N = 314), the effectiveness of an intervention containing a motivational, opportunity and ability component, is compared to an intervention containing only a motivational component and an intervention with a combined opportunity & ability component. Results indicate that only an intervention combining all MOA components (measuring cup with descriptive social norm) effectively reduces household grain waste (pasta, rice, couscous). This demonstrates the usefulness of the MOA framework in directing intervention development.