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Research explained

What ReFED learned about the habits that help households waste less

The useful habits are not glamorous: look before shopping, plan with some flexibility, watch what needs using and eat the leftovers.

Still Good••7 min read

Food-waste advice often sounds like a demand to become a different person: plan every meal, prep every Sunday and never change your mind. ReFED’s recent work offers a more realistic picture. Better household food management is a collection of small checks, not a perfect lifestyle.

What ReFED studied

For its 2026 household report, ReFED partnered with YouGov on a nationally representative survey of 1,000 US households. It explored grocery costs, shopping, preparation and self-reported waste-reduction behaviour.

Separately, ReFED’s 2026 US Food Waste Report estimated that household surplus food fell by roughly 950,000 tons in 2024—about a 4% decline from the previous year. The analysis associates this progress with people managing food more deliberately during a period of high prices.

The behaviours people reported

ReFED reported that many households were checking food before shopping, planning meals or lists more closely, monitoring what needed to be used before it spoiled, eating leftovers more often and using the freezer.

These actions reinforce one another. Checking supplies makes the shopping list more accurate. A more accurate list creates fewer duplicates. Monitoring short-life food gives leftovers and fresh ingredients a place in the week. Freezing creates time when plans change.

The pattern is simple: know what you have, notice what is at risk and preserve options before the food becomes a problem.

What the research cannot prove

A survey captures what people say they do, and self-reported waste is not the same as a weighed bin audit. Economic pressure may also produce changes that are difficult to sustain. The findings are useful evidence, not a promise that one checklist will work for every home.

Turn the findings into a weekly system

  1. Before shopping: check your fridge, freezer and the products expiring soon.
  2. While planning: choose a few anchor meals, not a rigid seven-day script.
  3. After cooking: give leftovers a date and a next use.
  4. Midweek: move at-risk food into view.
  5. When plans change: freeze, share or reschedule.

Track the friction, not only the waste

If a food keeps getting discarded, ask why. Is the pack too large? Is it stored out of sight? Do you buy it for an imaginary version of your week? The answer points to the intervention: buy less, store differently, add an earlier reminder or stop buying it for now.

ReFED’s figures are from the United States, so prices, packaging and household routines will differ elsewhere. The behavioural principle travels well: reducing waste becomes easier when the next useful action is visible and timely.

Sources

ReFED and YouGov: American Households in 2026
Progress on the Plate: 2026 ReFED U.S. Food Waste Report