Friend or Foe? The Influence of Home-Delivered Meal Kits on Household Food Waste

About the Research Project

This project examined the impacts of home-delivered meal kits on household food waste, focusing on meal planning, ingredients leftovers, and waste management. By analysing data from 1000 Australian households, it aimed to identify practical strategies for reducing food waste and promoting sustainable consumption. The findings might support industry leaders, policymakers, and sustainability advocates in developing targeted interventions that align with consumer needs and environmental goals.

Impact

By providing data-driven insights, this project helped to reduce household food waste, lower emissions, and enhance resource efficiency, helping industry leaders meet sustainability targets and strengthen brand value.

Partners

End Food Waste Australia

Project lead: Dr. Jayanath Ananda

Dr. Jayanath Ananda is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at CQUniversity’s Melbourne Campus and a member of the Centre for Regional Economies and Supply Chains (CRESC). With over 25 years of experience in teaching and research, his expertise lies in environmental economics, consumer behaviour, food sustainability, and water policy. Dr. Ananda has contributed to numerous research projects focusing on household food waste management, circular economy, and urban water management in Australia and South Asia. His recent research includes projects on simulating household behaviour to estimate the impact of food waste reduction interventions and evaluating the effectiveness of priority household food waste reduction interventions. Dr. Ananda has over seventy publications in top-ranked journals and book chapters, and he serves as the Associate Editor for Water Policy, the official journal of the World Water Council.  Learn more.

Sustainable Development Goals

At CQUniversity we are committed to embedding sustainable practice in our operations, interactions and relationships, underpinned by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability sits as one of our strategic pillars within our Strategic Plan 2019-2023.

This project aligns to the following SDG Goals:

  • Zero Hunger (Goal 2)
  • Responsible Consumption and Production (Goal 12)

Learn more about our commitment to Sustainable Development Goals.

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