Questionnaire: Household Food Waste
and Its Economic Consequences
(Economics Project – Class 11)
Instructions:
Please answer all questions honestly based on your household’s food habits.
Tick (✓) the appropriate option and write clearly where required. Your
responses are for educational purposes only and will be kept confidential. All
questions are Mandatory as it will help in smooth making of results.
Thank You
Section A: Basic Information
1. Name (Optional): _______________________
2. Age:
☐ Below 18 ☐ 18–30
☐ 31–50 ☐ Above 50
3. Gender:
☐ Male ☐ Female ☐ Prefer not to say
4. Occupation:
☐ Student ☐ Homemaker
☐ Working Professional ☐ Business
☐ Other: __________
5. Number of family members in your household:
☐ 1–3 ☐ 4–6 ☐ 7 or more
Section B: Household Food Purchasing Habits
6. How often does your household buy groceries?
☐ Daily ☐ Weekly
☐ Monthly ☐ Occasionally
7. Who usually manages grocery shopping in your household?
☐ Self ☐ Parents
☐ Shared responsibility ☐ Others
8. Do you prepare a shopping list before buying groceries? ☐ Always ☐ Sometimes ☐ Never
9. Do you often buy extra food items unnecessarily? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Sometimes
10. Do discounts/offers encourage overbuying? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Sometimes
Section C: Food Waste Patterns
11. How often is food wasted in your household?
☐ Daily ☐ Weekly
☐ Rarely ☐ Never
12. Which meal is wasted the most?
☐ Breakfast ☐ Lunch
☐ Dinner ☐ Snacks
13. Which type of food is wasted the most?
☐ Cooked food ☐ Fruits & vegetables
☐ Dairy products ☐ Packaged food
☐ Other: ___________________
14. What is the main reason for food wastage?
☐ Overcooking ☐ Overbuying
☐ Poor storage ☐ Food expiry
☐ Lack of planning
15. Approximately how much cooked food is wasted per week?
☐ None ☐ 1–2 times ☐ 3–4 times ☐ More than 4 times
Section D: Storage & Consumption Habits
16. Do you check expiry dates before using food products? ☐ Always ☐ Sometimes ☐ Never
17. Are leftovers reused in your household? ☐ Always ☐ Sometimes ☐
Never
18. How is leftover food usually managed?
☐ Reused ☐ Shared
☐ Fed to animals ☐ Thrown away
19. Do you store food properly to avoid spoilage? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Sometimes
20. Which food item spoils the fastest in your home?
☐ Vegetables ☐ Fruits
☐ Dairy ☐ Cooked meals
Section E: Economic Consequences
21. Estimated weekly value of wasted food:
☐ Less than ₹50 ☐ ₹50–₹100 ☐ ₹100–₹300 ☐ More than ₹300
22. Do you think food waste affects your monthly budget? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Maybe
23. Have you ever calculated your household’s food waste cost? ☐ Yes ☐ No
24. If food waste is reduced, where would that money be better used?
☐ Savings ☐ Education
☐ Healthcare ☐ Household needs
Section F: Awareness & Responsibility
25. Are you aware that food wastage also wastes water, labor, and electricity? ☐ Yes ☐ No
26. Do children in your family waste food frequently? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Sometimes
27. Do you believe awareness can reduce food wastage? ☐ Yes ☐ No
28. Should schools teach students about food conservation? ☐ Yes ☐ No
29. Do social events/festivals increase food wastage in your household? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐
Sometimes
Section G: Solutions & Suggestions
30. What is the best way to reduce food waste?
☐ Meal planning ☐ Buying less
☐ Proper storage ☐ Reusing leftovers
☐ All of the above
30. Would you support campaigns against food wastage? ☐ Yes ☐ No
31. Do you think reducing food waste can improve household savings? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Open-Ended Questions
33. In your opinion, what is the biggest cause of food waste in households?
_____________________________________________________________________________
34. What steps can your household take to reduce food wastage?
_________________________________________________________________________________
35. Why is reducing food waste important for the economy?
_________________________________________________________________________________
Thank You! Your valuable responses will help in understanding food waste patterns and their economic
consequences. Kindly submit your responses to HARGUN KAUR of XI-B after completion.