Tackling Waste of Fruits and Vegetables in Chilean Households with Tailored Informational–Enablement Interventions: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Abstract

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and direct measurement of waste are the gold standards for evaluating food waste interventions. This pilot RCT explored the effects of a 3-week tailored informational–enablement intervention to reduce the causes and amount of fruit and vegetable waste in households in Santiago, Chile. Households were randomized to intervention (n = 23) or control (n = 23). Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, fruit and vegetable consumption, and perceived causes of waste were assessed by questionnaire. Avoidable waste was quantified by direct weighing at baseline, post-intervention, and observational follow-up. At baseline, median (25th–75th percentiles) avoidable waste was 153 (128–180) (g/day per person for fruits and 102 (95–124) for vegetables. Purchase was the most frequently reported cause of waste. At post-intervention, the change in vegetable waste (Δwaste) was lower in the intervention vs. the control group (−6 (−9, −3) vs. 3 (−5, 10) g/day per person; p = 0.0129), without difference for fruits (p = 0.0895). Observational follow-up showed decreases in avoidable fruit and vegetable waste from post-intervention to month 6 (p < 0.001) and to month 9 (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the tailored informational–enablement intervention reduced avoidable vegetable waste in the studied Chilean households. Follow-up measurements could contribute to capturing longer-term changes in fruit and vegetable waste.