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Prefabrication is a promising method for minimizing construction waste since it is conducted in a controlled environment. This paper develops a simulation model for quantitatively evaluating the potential of prefabrication on construction waste reduction by considering interaction behaviors among factors influencing the application of prefabrication and construction waste reduction during the design stage. The theory of planned behavior is applied to determine the system boundary, and a system dynamic model is applied for establishing the simulation model. A case project in Anhui, China, is selected for demonstrating the established model. Results show that the (1) Application of prefabrication method contributes to construction waste reduction by reducing material wastes and reworking due to design changes. (2) Impacts of prefabrication method on concrete waste reduction is the most significant. (3) Increasing investment on designers’ professional training and strengthening policies is two efficient strategies to make full use of the potential of the prefabrication method on construction waste reduction during the design stage. The developed model can offer designers as well as policymakers with references for applying prefabrication method for construction waste reduction by comparing outcomes under various scenarios with different strategies and policies ahead of implementation.

Due to the rapid pace of urbanization in China, there has been a significant increase in construction work, which has resulted in the generation of more waste. Reducing the waste at source is the most efficient way to reduce its negative impacts, and prefabrication is a construction method that does exactly that. Since prefabricated construction generates less waste compared to conventional cast-in-situ construction, it is being promoted by the Chinese government. This study investigates the benefits of prefabrication and quantifies the percentage of construction waste reduction through its application in China. It does so by using a 26-storey concrete-brick residential building as a case study, and by conducting uncertainty analysis with Oracle Crystal Ball simulation software to assess the reduction of waste when using prefabricated components in place of cast-in-situ elements. Simulation results demonstrated that the waste generation rate for in-situ timber formwork and masonry work was 10.52 and 4.77 kg/m 2 respectively, and that the use of prefabricated components reduced those figures by 36.04% and 25.53% respectively. This study quantifies the benefits of prefabrication as a method for reducing the generation of construction waste in China. Not only would extensive use of prefabrication decrease the cost related to construction waste management in China, but it could also mitigate the environmental and social impacts of construction waste globally.

Lean and green production was introduced to the western manufacturing industry nearly thirty years ago. The essence of the new business model was to eliminate waste through lean tools according to Taiichi Ohno's eight categories of waste. Many companies became more competitive with waste reduction techniques but some of them faced, and still are facing failures. Such failures are closely related with misapplication of lean and green tools, and its sequential order of implementation. In order to define most powerful lean tools for reduction of certain types of waste, a study was made among lean companies. The concept of a study was to define best lean toolbox for reduction of each category of waste and to determine right sequential order of lean tools implementation. Stepwise multiple regression model revealed that Total Productive Maintenance, Poka-Yoke, Kaizen, 5S, Kanban, Six Big Losses, Heijunka, Takt Time, Andon, OEE, SMED, and KPIs are best waste management techniques. Nevertheless, it has been demonstrated that 5S, Kaizen, Kanban, Poka-Yoke and TPM are highly recommended for start of every lean manufacturing initiative.

This study sought to investigate the role of consumers’ emotional, cognitive, and financial concerns in the development of food waste reduction, reuse, and recycling behavior among restaurant patrons. Food waste in restaurants is a major problem for the food service industry, and it is a growing source of concern in developing countries, where eating out is becoming increasingly popular. A large portion of restaurant food waste in these markets originates from the plates of customers, highlighting the importance of consumer behavior changes in reducing waste. The current study has used a quantitative approach to analyze the impact of anticipated negative emotion of guilt, awareness of consequences, habit, and financial concern on food waste reduction behaviors, i.e., reduce, reuse, and recycle. The study collected 492 responses and data is analyzed for hypotheses testing through Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling. The findings showed that anticipated negative emotions of guilt, awareness of consequences, habit, and financial concern have a significant impact on restaurants’ consumer food waste reduction behaviors. Managers, policymakers, and researchers interested in resolving the food waste problem will find the study useful. Other topics discussed include the implications and limitations as well as possible future research directions.

The worldwide growing consumption of proteins to feed humans and animals has drawn a considerable amount of attention to insect rearing. Insects reared on organic wastes and used as feed for monogastric animals can reduce the environmental impact and increase the sustainability of meat/fish production. In this study, we designed an environmentally closed loop for food supply in which fruit and vegetable waste from markets became rearing substrate for Hermetia illucens (BSF— black soldier fly). A vegetable and fruit-based substrate was compared to a standard diet for Diptera in terms of larval growth, waste reduction index, and overall substrate degradation. Morphological analysis of insect organs was carried out to obtain indications about insect health. Processing steps such as drying and oil extraction from BSF were investigated. Nutritional and microbiological analyses confirmed the good quality of insects and meal. The meal was then used to produce fish feed and its suitability to this purpose was assessed using trout. Earthworms were grown on leftovers of BSF rearing in comparison to a standard substrate. Chemical analyses of vermicompost were performed. The present research demonstrates that insects can be used to reduce organic waste, increasing at the same time the sustainability of aquaculture and creating interesting by-products through the linked bio-system establishment.

Food waste has become a significant issue in the foodservice industry. However, food waste management in buffet restaurants has rarely been investigated. Considering the popularity of buffet restaurants in Taiwan, this study serves as the first attempt to identify a corporate management approach to food waste reduction in Taiwanese buffet restaurants. The study case comprises two buffet restaurants of a large chain restaurant company in Taiwan. This study uses both individual in-depth interviews and a focus group, comprising 15 managers, chefs, and front-line employees. The results identify various strategies to mitigate food waste in buffet restaurants at different stages of operation: establishing a central kitchen, cooperating with qualified suppliers, accurate forecasting of food demand, aesthetic buffet table design, redesigning the service method, continually monitoring food waste, and proactive communication to customers. The 3R (Reduce–Reuse–Recycle) food waste hierarchy is also developed to encourage buffet restaurant practitioners to design appropriate food waste mitigation programs.

Given the large amount of food waste coming from households, reducing household food waste is essential to the mitigation of overall food waste and the provision of multi-faceted benefits for both people and the planet. This study identifies factors and management strategies for the reduction of household food waste in the Taiwanese household setting. Using snowball sampling, semi-structured interviews are conducted to collect data from 27 household food providers in Taipei. The research findings identify four critical motivators and four barriers to minimizing household food waste in Taiwan. The most frequently mentioned motivator for the reduction of food waste is a convenient shopping environment, and the most important barrier is lack of knowledge for assessing the edibility of food. Additionally, four major prevention strategies are identified to help reduce household food waste: (1) planned purchase schedule; (2) skills to keep food fresh and longer; (3) understanding family preferences and leftover management, and (4) sharing additional food and co-procurement and cooking. The results of this study not only help improve the understanding and application of Chinese household food waste reduction, but also demonstrate the significance of its socio-cultural impacts in future studies.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop the theory of environmentally responsible behavior by extending the theory of planned behavior to empirically examine waste reduction behaviors among young coastal tourists in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach Through review of literature, in-depth interviews and survey, the study is conducted. Initial survey collects 355 data, which is used for exploratory factor analysis to develop constructs and its measurement items. After preparing the formal survey questionnaires, another survey is conducted and collected 403 usable responses. The subsequent valid responses are used for confirmatory factor analysis through structural equation modeling, using Smart PLS 3.3.3. Findings The results of this study reveal that waste reduction behavior is significantly affected by waste reduction intention, and then subsequently waste reduction intention is significantly affected by environmental concern, climate change concern and healthy environmental norms of young coastal tourists in Bangladesh. Practical implications The findings of the study will benefit industry operators and policymakers by understanding the factors that are crucial for influencing young costal tourists’ environmentally responsible behaviors (i.e. waste reduction behaviors). Eventually, the findings may assist industry operators and policymakers to develop strategies to attract more young tourists to the coastal tourist destinations in Bangladesh. Originality/value The importance of environmentally responsible behavior has received a significant attention in present decade. Consistent with this phenomenon, this study uniquely develops the theory of environmentally responsible behavior and establishes the link between environmental concern, climate change concern, healthy environmental norms, waste reduction intention and waste reduction behavior in coastal tourism domain in Bangladesh.

PURPOSE: Source-separated collection of food waste has been reported to reduce the amount of household waste in several cities including Kyoto, Japan. Food waste can be reduced by various activities including preventing edible food loss, draining moisture, and home composting. These activities have different potentials for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. Therefore, we conducted a life-cycle inventory analysis of household waste management scenarios for Kyoto with a special emphasis on food waste reduction activities. METHODS: The primary functional unit of our study was “annual management of household combustible waste in Kyoto, Japan.” Although some life-cycle assessment scenarios included food waste reduction measures, all of the scenarios had an identical secondary functional unit, “annual food ingestion (mass and composition) by the residents of Kyoto, Japan.” We analyzed a typical incineration scenario (Inc) and two anaerobic digestion (dry thermophilic facilities) scenarios involving either source-separated collection (SepBio) or nonseparated collection followed by mechanical sorting (MecBio). We assumed that the biogas from anaerobic digestion was used for power generation. In addition, to evaluate the effects of waste reduction combined with separate collection, three food waste reduction cases were considered in the SepBio scenario: (1) preventing loss of edible food (PrevLoss); (2) draining moisture contents (ReducDrain); and (3) home composting (ReducHcom). In these three cases, we assumed that the household waste was reduced by 5%. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The GHG emissions from the Inc, MecBio, and SepBio scenarios were 123.3, 119.5, and 118.6 Gg CO2-eq/year, respectively. Compared with the SepBio scenario without food waste reduction, the PrevLoss and ReducDrain cases reduced the GHG emissions by 17.1 and 0.5 Gg CO2-eq/year. In contrast, the ReducHcom case increased the GHG emissions by 2.1 Gg CO2-eq/year. This is because the biogas power production decreased due to the reduction in food waste, while the electricity consumption increased in response to home composting. Sensitivity analyses revealed that a reduction of only 1% of the household waste by food loss prevention has the same GHG reduction effect as a 31-point increase (from 50% to 81%) in the food waste separation rate. CONCLUSIONS: We found that prevention of food losses enhanced by separate collection led to a significant reduction in GHG emissions. These findings will be useful in future studies designed to develop strategies for further reductions in GHG emissions.

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to develop an environmental mitigation behavior model (EMBM) for predicting waste reduction behaviors among young coastal tourists in Bangladesh by modifying and extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB).Design/methodology/approachThe research has been administered by applying mixed method (both qualitative and quantitative), where study-1(qualitative) identifies factors, study-2 (quantitative) verifies factors by employing exploratory factor analysis (EFA) approach, and study-3 confirms factors influencing waste reduction behaviors among young coastal tourists by employing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Study-2 collects 385 valid responses and analyzes by applying the principal component analysis (PCA) technique with the Varimax rotation method by using SPSS-v25, and Study-3 collects 501 valid responses and analyzes by partial least structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique, using Smart PLS3.3.3.FindingsThe study findings have revealed that waste reduction intention and perceived ecological balance significantly influence waste reduction behaviors among young coastal tourists in Bangladesh. Further, waste reduction intention is significantly predicted by mitigation attitude, resource conservation norms and environmental perceptions. Furthermore, environmental ethics significantly affects mitigation attitudes and resource conservation norms.Practical implicationsThe study offers several insightful implications (e.g. incentives, charging fines, environmental awareness-related knowledge-based campaign, etc.) for policymakers and industry operators, which may be a dynamic cost-effective mechanism for reducing waste at coastal tourism destinations in Bangladesh as well as in the world.Originality/valueThis study addresses the need for developing a model that can explain waste reduction behaviors among young coastal tourists in Bangladesh, and thus, the study uniquely postulates the theory of environmental mitigation behavior for predicting waste reduction behaviors by modifying and extending the TPB.