Consumption Patterns of Eating out

The way how and when we eat has changed dramatically in recent years: we eat and drink more on the go and order meals online. Take-away, immediate consumption and delivery services – these consumer trends have led to the high volume of packaging waste that we have today. For example, the consumption of service packaging in the catering sector increased by 133% between 2000 and 2015.

The research field is therefore concerned with everyday social practices of eating out. Using digital diaries and observations, different patterns of use of time will be identified and their effects on eating habits analyzed. Using practice theory as an approach, different aspects of the everyday organization of consumers are linked with each other. These include the significance of work, the use of digital services and the gender-specific division of labor in households.

Based on analysing the obstacles, starting points for low-packaging consumption, e.g. the (re-) integration of re-usable packaging with a long life into the everyday life of consumers, are going to be derived and tested.

Research Questions

  • How do takeaway, immediate consumption and delivery services affect everyday organization?
  • Which solutions with less packaging consumption (precycling solutions) exist that can be integrated into the daily lives of consumers?
Contact
Dr. Elisabeth Süßbauer
Zentrum Technik und Gesellschaft, TU Berlin

Hardenbergstr. 16-18, 10623 Berlin

Germany

+49 (0)30 314-29822
suessbauer@ztg.tu-berlin.de