From Waste to Delicacy – Collective Innovation in Food Disposition Practices Through Blogging

A significant amount of food produced ends up as waste. It has been estimated that up to a half of all food purchased by households is thrown away (Imeche.org 2013). This is alarming from the point of view of the environment, and relates to the negative consequences of Western overconsumption (Achrol and Kotler 2012). It has also been found that intentions of not wasting food do not correlate with actual food waste. Instead, routine practices of food purchasing and provisioning are more significant (Ropke 2009; Stefan et al. 2013). These practices are often unreflected upon by consumers yet they have a big impact on sustainability. Therefore, it is essential for research to focus on these practices in order to make a difference: to understand how waste emerges and to find ways to reduce it. The purpose of this study is to examine consumer practices aimed at actively reducing food waste. These practices, consisting of materials, meanings and competences (Shove, Pantzar, and Watson 2012), are investigated through a netnographic study of a Finnish food blog campaign. Special attention is paid on how consumer bloggers and their audience turn reducing food waste into a collective project of innovation, making these practices more socially acceptable and even trendy.