Investigating guest reactions to plate waste reduction strategies: A field experiment in a casual-dining restaurant

The purpose of this study was to investigate food waste reduction strategies at the consumption stage in restaurants and addresses United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3. Interviews with Thai restaurant managers found that managers attributed much of the problem to business competitiveness and cultural traditions of Thai diners which included being wasteful and holding beliefs about food abundance. A 2 ×2 between subjects’ field experiment was then conducted with 178 diners at a casual-dining restaurant. The two intervention treatments were based on symbolic consumption and communication message theories. The cultural norm of presenting gourmet carved vegetables for the side dish had a strong effect on actual plate waste (measured in grams). In contrast, a specific zero waste sustainability message had a moderate effect on plate waste. The findings have implications for the casual-dining restaurant sector worldwide, together with industry associations, event planners, hotel managers and university educators.