Poland is getting worse and worse with food waste subject. Even 8 years ago, more than half of respondents said that after the holidays they do not throw away food at all. A year ago, it was only 43%. Although we are increasingly using products that we had from the previous day and inflation encourages us to pay more attention to each dollar spent, compared to 2016, we are spending more [1]. It seems that neither ecology nor frugality is enough motivation to change habits.
We think one thing, we do another
If you look closely at the statements of Poles regarding their consumer choice, it turns out that a sustainable lifestyle is not alien to us at all. 62% of respondents said they buy less to limit the amount of things they use every day. More than half are prepared so that nothing is lost. A significant proportion of respondents admit that the pandemic has stimulated change. More and more Poles are reducing the number of items they have and gravitating towards a simpler life. On the other hand, only 49% of respondents do not buy from companies that are to their knowledge harmful to the environment [2]. This creates a gap between the actions we take and what we think and what actually works for the good of nature.
Source: Foodsi
A lesson from the past
Engaging consumers in any kind of collective action is a complex process that requires a detailed understanding of their behavior, social trends and effective marketing strategies. It is the fact that 60% of food waste is thrown away by households [3] without the participation of consumers, the zero waste movement is doomed to failure. Looking at various social movements - from those that were associated with civil rights in the 1960s, to those that address issues of marriage equality in the twenty-first century - however, we can identify practices that contribute to long-term cultural and institutional change. At Foodsi, we pay attention to them, try to create authentic initiatives and inspire consumers to promote them. Such assistance in moving from intention to action is extremely important and indispensable in the process of changing consumer behavior.
Various motives
For consumers to have an incentive to reduce food waste, they must be motivated to do so. For some, a positive impact on the environment will be a sufficient incentive for action, for others - the financial benefits and long-term savings associated with the practice of zero waste. Community-oriented individuals, in turn, will be motivated by supporting local businesses. Therefore, we constantly put ourselves in the position of our users and partners, trying to understand their problems. We adapt our language to them and learn from mistakes. We know, for example, that persuading partners to spend less food is usually useless. Entrepreneurs most often react to such words with indignation, claiming that nothing is lost in their company. This is not how they perceive the message that with Foodsi they are turning past losses into profits or gaining new customers. Thus, the language of benefits for them is often a financial issue, and creating an environmental image takes a back seat.
A bright future is tinged with green
At Foodsi, we strive to show the future that our users and partners can help create. With the #ekowtorek series, we deliver interesting and accessible content about the zero waste movement. We don't just want to inform consumers about the impact of waste on the environment or the benefits of a more sustainable lifestyle. We share the stories of people and companies that have successfully adopted zero waste practices to inspire you to participate in this movement. A good example of this practice is the viral animation Chipotle, which compares the future of dystopia with utopian, noting that the latter is possible if we take appropriate measures in this direction [4]. And in order for the consumer to want to participate in this movement, they must see the benefits associated with their participation on the horizon.
It takes time
However, the way to the horizon is far away, because all social movements grow over time. Short-term marketing campaigns can't provide long-term impact or credibility, so at Foodsi, we put a lot of energy into building brand awareness. We create and capture in the minds of the target group the specific image and values that we represent. To work effectively at the top of the marketing funnel, we are present on multiple platforms. We use various channels to engage consumers, share content, or support discussions on topics related to zero waste traffic. Education, on the other hand, is a long process, sometimes a generation, so we stick to long-term thinking.
In small steps
We emphasize that every action, even the smallest, is important. And as much as it sounds, it is. We provide simple, actionable advice that consumers can easily put into practice. We'll show you what to do with potatoes left over from last night's lunch, or banana peels. We don't aim for fancy dishes or ways that are too complicated or time-consuming. Simplicity matters. This, in turn, has something to do with accessibility. We are trying to disrupt slogans such as "eco “or "zero waste", which are often associated with store aisles with expensive bio-food. We show that a sustainable lifestyle is not meant for the wealthiest, and everyone can participate in a movement to improve the health of our planet. We provide users with a tool through which they can not only help reduce the amount of food waste, but also buy their favorite products at a discount of up to 70%.
Source: Foodsi
Advertising campaigns can raise awareness, but they don't always contribute to authentic community building. In an ideal world, an app like Foodsi would be redundant. But until that happens, we are doing everything we can to become an important part of the global zero waste movement.
Sources:
[1] Central Bank. (2023). Statements of Poles about food waste. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2023/K_126_23.PDF
[2] Intra. (2021). European Consumer Payment Report 2021. https://mb.cision.com/Main/8612/3463008/1503368.pdf
[3] Results of the iOS-PIB study, sggw in the framework of the PROM project, 2020.
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY-GgzZKxUQ [accessed 24.06.2024]
[5] United Nations. 2019. Can we feed the world and ensure no one goes hungry? https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/10/1048452 [accessed 1.07.2024]
Junior specialist in Marketing Communications and PR.
He is a graduate of the University of Warsaw and the Main School of Agriculture. We have been in the HoReCa industry for more than 10 years. For many years, he has been associated with the Trip group, Sobienie Royal Golf and Country Club, and the Florentin Restaurant in Warsaw.
She graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw Technical University with a degree in Architecture for the Knowledge Society and Visual Communications at the Polytechnic University of Milan. A specialist in creating a mood. She has gained experience at home and abroad at numerous international seminars (Seville, Lisbon, Florence), fellowships at La Sapienza (Rome), etc. m.in. in Carmi e Ubertis and ADM Milano.
A manager with many years of experience in the cosmetics, food, and children's industries. During his career, he was associated with such companies as: L'Oreal, Samsung, Danone-Nutricia, Unilever. During his professional life, he was responsible, among other things, for the development of e-commerce sales and content in Poland and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. 
