Unintended effect of refrigerator usage on household food waste: Evidence from rural China

IF 11.2 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Resources Conservation and Recycling Pub Date : 2025-04-01 DOI:10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108274

Longqiang Zhao , Shi Min , Xiaobing Wang , Xiaohua Yu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The rapid spread of refrigerators in rural China has significantly increased, yet their impact on household food waste remains unclear. This study investigates the impact of refrigerator usage on household food waste in rural China, employing an endogenous switching regression model and counterfactual analysis based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) data from 2004, 2006, and 2009. Although refrigeration significantly enhances food preservation conditions, our findings indicate that it may paradoxically increase household food waste. Specifically, refrigerator usage is associated with a 24.35 % rise in food waste and a 29.29 % increase in calorie loss among refrigerating households. This effect diminishes over time and is moderated by higher household income, greater dietary knowledge, and increased education levels of food decision-maker. The quantity of stored food at home serves as a mediating factor: refrigerators encourage greater storage, thereby increasing food waste. By deepening our understanding of the refrigerator-food waste nexus in rural areas, this study provides crucial insights for policy formulation aimed at mitigating household food waste for China and other developing countries experiencing similar trends in rising refrigerator adoption and food waste challenges.

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来源期刊

Resources Conservation and Recycling 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

22.90

自引率

6.10%

发文量

625

审稿时长

23 days

期刊介绍： The journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling welcomes contributions from research, which consider sustainable management and conservation of resources. The journal prioritizes understanding the transformation processes crucial for transitioning toward more sustainable production and consumption systems. It highlights technological, economic, institutional, and policy aspects related to specific resource management practices such as conservation, recycling, and resource substitution, as well as broader strategies like improving resource productivity and restructuring production and consumption patterns. Contributions may address regional, national, or international scales and can range from individual resources or technologies to entire sectors or systems. Authors are encouraged to explore scientific and methodological issues alongside practical, environmental, and economic implications. However, manuscripts focusing solely on laboratory experiments without discussing their broader implications will not be considered for publication in the journal.