Food Waste in Restaurants: Evidence from Brazil and the United States

Abstract The purpose of our study is to identify, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which factors influence the intention of reducing food waste by Brazilian and American consumers of à la carte restaurants. We conducted a transcultural study with 573 consumers, 283 Americans, and 290 Brazilians. We used the Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Multigroup Analysis to evaluate the research data. The findings indicate that TPB dimensions are relevant to explaining the intention to reduce food waste and food waste behavior in Brazilian and American consumers. The intention to reduce food waste on food waste behavior was stronger in the Brazilian sample. Managers can better understand their clients and draw up more effective action plans while reducing food waste in food service. Our research advances in studies on sustainable consumption from the consumer perspective by comparing consumers from two countries.