To Good To Go and Sustainable Behavior Change: An Exploration of the Smartphone Application through Social Practice Theory
Author
Fischer, Hendrik Tobias
Term
4. term
Publication year
2020
Submitted on
2020-06-02
Pages
74
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger smartphone-applikationen To Good To Go gennem et kulturelt og forbrugsorienteret perspektiv med fokus på bæredygtig adfærdsændring. Appen muliggør køb af overskudsmad fra restauranter, caféer og butikker til nedsat pris og forstås som en bæredygtig praksis i kampen mod madspild. Med social praksisteori som ramme – især Warde (2005) om forbrug og praksis samt Hargreaves (2011) om pro-miljøadfærd – analyseres, hvordan gentagne udførelser kan skabe vaner, og hvordan mindre bæredygtige rutiner må udfordres bevidst for at blive erstattet. Empirisk bygger studiet på semistrukturerede onlineinterviews, hvor deltagere beskrev deres brug af To Good To Go og deres madforbrugsvaner. De drøftede drivkræfter (fx at spare penge, overraskelsesmoment og følelsesmæssige belønninger), begrænsninger (afhentningstider og planlægning, skepsis over for virksomheder, konflikter med andre bæredygtige praksisser), kulturelle og samfundsmæssige madvaner samt forskelle mellem appen og supermarkedet. Resultaterne viser, at alle opfatter brugen som bæredygtig, men en tydelig effekt på madspild i husholdningen kunne kun identificeres hos 2 ud af 11 deltagere; de mest engagerede brugere havde i nogen grad integreret appen i deres indkøbsrutiner. Forudgående viden og interesse for bæredygtighed synes nødvendig for at udvikle rutiner, der kan blive til vaner, men adfærdsændringerne var ofte kortvarige og påvirket af livssituationer (fx studerendes fokus på at spare penge). Studiet peger dermed på både muligheder og begrænsninger ved app-baserede indsatser for bæredygtigt forbrug.
This thesis examines the smartphone application To Good To Go through a cultural and consumption-oriented lens with a focus on sustainable behavior change. The app enables users to buy surplus food from restaurants, cafés, and stores at reduced prices and is framed as a sustainable practice against food waste. Using social practice theory—particularly Warde (2005) on consumption and practice and Hargreaves (2011) on pro-environmental behavior—the study explores how repeated performances can form habits and how less sustainable routines must be consciously challenged to be replaced. Empirically, the research draws on semi-structured online interviews in which participants described their use of To Good To Go and their food consumption habits. They discussed drivers (e.g., saving money, the surprise element, and emotional rewards), constraints (pick-up times and planning, skepticism toward businesses, conflicts with other sustainable practices), cultural and societal food habits, and differences between the app and supermarket shopping. Findings indicate that while all participants viewed app use as sustainable, a clear impact on household food-waste behavior was evident in only 2 of 11 participants; the most committed users had partially integrated the app into their shopping routines. Prior knowledge and interest in sustainability appear necessary to develop routines that can become habits, yet behavior changes were often short-lived and shaped by life situations (such as students’ focus on saving money). The study highlights both the potential and the limitations of app-based interventions for sustainable consumption.
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