Reducing the Carbon Footprint with smart food choices: Nudge ExperimentFood accounts for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 92% of the global water footprint is related to agriculture.

The Nudge experiment will be carried out in five Branches of the Mandarin restaurant which are located in and around Toronto, Canada. The Mandarin restaurant has an All-Day-Buffet Menu.

The fact that roughly one-third of all food is lost or wasted has received less attention. It therefore appears that food waste is a substantial, but largely neglected contributor to environmental change.

Choice architecture can be used to alter people’s behaviour in predictable ways. From obesity and nutritional research we know that ‘‘the eating situation often (but not always) provides clues allowing us to infer how much we can eat without eating an inappropriately large amount’’. These clues form a part of the choice architecture, and can be used to alter behaviour.

Two simple and non-intrusive ‘nudges’ – reducing plate size and providing social cues – are tested, aimed towards reducing the amount of food waste in restaurants. These measures aim to reduce the amount of food that restaurants need to purchase, and there would be no change in guest satisfaction, making it likely that profits will increase. These measures could thus constitute potential win–win opportunities.

DesignField experiment; observational study5 branches of Mandarin Restaurant, located in and around Toronto Canada.

Observation for 3 months in totalPre-and post-treatment measurement of waste

Control group Plate size group Salient sign group

Natural differences in plate size: 15- 28cm

Changed from 24 to 21 cm

Welcome back! Again! And again! Visit our buffet many times. That´s better than taking a lot once.

2 restaurants 3 restaurants 3 restaurants

Two no-regrets measures have been identified and quantified, that can substantially reduce the amount of food waste from restaurants. The findings, at least for the effect of reduced plate size, are likely to be transferable to other contexts such as food services at institutions (schools, hospitals, retirement homes, prisons, workplace canteens, etc.) where buffet meals are served.

Welcome back! Again! And again! Visit our buffet many times. That´s better than taking a lot once.

Therefore making healthy choices is now up to you! THANK YOU!!!