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• A survey (n = 1216) analyzed food waste behaviour in Bangladesh. • Awareness affects attitudes but not direct sustainable consumption. • Higher-income groups waste more food, with a significant correlation (p < 0.05). • Expiry misconceptions and appearance bias drive consumer food waste. • Policies like food donation laws and waste-to-energy are recommended. Food waste poses significant environmental and socio-economic challenges, particularly in developing countries like Bangladesh, where food security remains a major concern. Addressing the limited empirical evidence on consumer-level drivers of food waste in South Asian contexts, this study investigates the psychological and behavioral determinants of food waste through a cross-sectional survey of 1,216 respondents across diverse socioeconomic groups. Using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), it examines the influence of Awareness (AW), Attitudes toward Leftovers (AL), Waste due to Appearance and Expiry misconceptions (WAE), Personal Beliefs (PB), Global Consequences and Causes (GCC), and Conscious Consumption and Advocacy (CCA) on consumer food waste behavior. Results show that awareness significantly shapes attitudes (β = 0.42, p < 0.001) but do not directly translate into sustainable consumption behavior (β = 0.09, p = 0.12), revealing a persistence of the knowledge-behavior gap in developing-country settings. Higher-income households (BDT > 50,000/month) waste approximately 32% more food than lower-income groups, while 47% of respondents discard food based on appearance and 39% misinterpret expiry labels, underscoring behavioral and cognitive challenges beyond awareness. The findings underscore the importance of targeted awareness strategies, standardized food labeling practices, and supportive regulatory frameworks. Drawing on global best practices, policy recommendations include food-donation legislation, strengthened supermarket standards, and waste-to-energy initiatives. The study provides actionable insights for policymakers, businesses, and consumers, advancing the limited empirical literature on food waste behavior in Bangladesh and similar emerging economy contexts.