Changing Food Waste User Behavior through User-Centered Design

Abstract

Planet earth is currently facing many environmental issues and the term global warming is a well-known term today. Carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to global warming, and there is a need to perform research on how to reduce this in various areas. In Norway as well as in other countries around the world, food waste is a source of emissions that are damaging the environment. Research indicates 30-50% of all food that are being produced, are never consumed by a human. This study proposes an approach to investigating and positively affecting food waste behavior through merging a sustainable design approach, within a user-centered design process. The proposed study also draws on the research field of behavior change theory, in order to design interventions aimed at affecting the identified negative target behavior. By researching how user-centered design and qualitative research methods may contribute to changing human behavior of food waste, this study contributes to 1) understanding waste behavior and identifying target behavior, 2) determine intervention types, design and evaluate interventions, 3) prototype a methodological approach to changing user behavior through user-centered design.