Abstract
Fruit and vegetables are food commodities that have been identified as the most wasted food types globally. Fruit and vegetable waste (FVWs) poses a significant environmental, economic, and social challenge, commonly in urban municipalities like the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (COJMM). Most FVWs in South Africa end up in landfills. This necessitates a need for sustainable actions to mitigate the negative impacts on the environment and the economy. Retailers play a vital role in the fresh produce supply chain. However, a gap persists in understanding their awareness levels and management practices, particularly within the specific context of COJMM Region F.
This study aimed to determine and describe the awareness and management of fruit and vegetable waste by retailers in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality Region F. The objectives of the study were to determine and describe the level of awareness of retailers in Region F of the COJMM regarding fruit and vegetable waste. To determine and describe current practices employed by retailers in Region F of the COJMM to manage fruit and vegetable waste. To determine and describe key factors influencing fruit and vegetable waste generation among retailers in Region F of the COJMM.
The study employed a quantitative, descriptive, and contextual design, utilizing a non-experimental survey approach. A purposive sample of 161 retailers (43 formal, 118 informal) participated, completing structured questionnaires. The researcher used Google Forms to develop and render the questionnaires. Data analysis was conducted using the International Business Management Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS) version 30.0.0.0 (172) for descriptive (frequency distribution) and inferential statistics (Chi-square tests) to determine relationships between demographic variables and awareness levels.
The findings outlined a significant awareness-practice gap across both retail sectors. Although basic awareness of FVWs was high, recognition and understanding of municipal waste management by-laws were limited (with 12.7% of informal and 34.5% of formal retailers agreeing that they were aware of the by-laws). Consideration of FVWs as a global issue (with a collective of 53.4% informal and 46.5% of formal retailers in disagreement) and sustainable valorisation methods was limited. Inferential analysis using Pearson’s chi-square test revealed statistically significant relationships between demographic variables (age, gender, and education) and awareness among informal retailers (p < 0.05), whereas no significant relationships were found among formal ...