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Indicator: Consumer Environmental Behavior

Data and Data Discussion provided by King County DNRP

Figure 2: Percent Considering Environmental Impact of Purchasing Decisions

Figure 1: Residents' Stewardship Levels

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Upstream Indicators
  •   Happiness --- Seattle ranked 45 out of 185 cities surveyed for emotional health in 2008. In 2009, Seattle ranked 83 out of 185 cities in emotional health. Seattle ranked 39 out 185 for Life Evaluation in 2008 and 35 in 2009.   (view data graph)
  •   Stress --- There was no significant increase or decrease in the average stress score for adults in King County between 2001 and 2004.   (view data graph)
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Downstream Indicators
  •   Acres of High Quality Soils --- While the amount of land being farmed has been relatively stable in recent years, there are continuing pressures on farmland being used for other purposes.  
  •   Solid Waste Disposal Rates --- Solid waste disposal has dropped off significantly since 2003. In 2007, single-family households in King County (excluding Seattle) recycled 54 percent of their solid waste and disposed less solid waste than the target rate of 27 pounds per household per week. Seattle set a new city record for recycling rates in 2006, with 47.5 percent of the city's residential, commercial and self-haul waste heading to recycling bins instead of the landfills.  (view data graph)
  •   Consumer Environmental Index --- Through their purchasing decisions, Washington consumers have increased their total environmental impacts by 24% since 2000. Even on a per capita basis consumption impacts have gone up 17%.   (view data graph)
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Related Goals

A strong sense of place and a related feeling of satisfaction, born out of the reciprocal feeling that a place is safe and nurturing, leads to a desire to be a good steward one's chosen home.

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Sustainability Snapshot:

As consumers, are we actively making choices to conserve, minimize waste and protect natural resources for the future – such as repairing rather than replacing items, using cold water to wash laundry, and choosing green products rather than environmentally unfriendly ones? Such behavior is traditionally thought to be motivated by economics but recent research suggests that other variables come into play. In a recent worldwide survey of 14 countries, U.S. consumers scored the worst when it came to positive environmental behavior. (1) They are by far the least likely to use public transportation, to walk or bike to their destinations, or to eat locally grown foods. They have among the largest average residence size in the survey. Only 15 percent say they minimize their use of fresh water.

Sustainability Trend:

Overall, consumer environmental behavior is improving since 2006.

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

This indicator tracks trends among King County residents on approximately twenty yard care, recycling and disposal, water quality and climate.

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

In 2008, King County conducted a telephone survey to gather data on household's environmental behaviors. King County changed and expanded its measures for the Environmental Behavior Index to:
*Yard Care
*Recycling and Disposal
*Water Quality
*Climate
Survey questions about yard care include the following topics: lawn watering, lawn size, use of pesticides, fertilizers, and chemicals, native vegetation, car washing, compost use, invasive plants, dog waste.

Improvements are more marked in lawn care and...

In 2004 and again in 2006, 1000 randomly selected respondents in King County participated in a telephone survey and reported on their household's behaviors related to:

* Yard Care
* Environmentally Friendly Purchasing

Many factors affect the purchasing decisions. Cost, product convenience, and availability are all influential. Public awareness about the impacts of these decisions on the health and environment do play an important role.

2006 Residential Purchasing Results: The survey indicates that purchasing of Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) has climbed since the prior survey in 2004, though choosing less toxic cleaning products and considering the environmental impacts of purchasing decisions was steady or declining against the 2004 survey results (Figure 2).

Recycling yard waste and changes in pesticide (just not using them) use are fairly easy behaviors to change and improve—and there are many voices, messages and incentives to encouraging such change. Reducing lawns, using the right fertilizer, using compost and restoration with native plants, all involve more complex and costly changes and have fewer supporting messages or region wide programs explaining how to do it.

2006 Residential Yard Care results: This year's survey of King County yard care behaviors indicates that residents have relatively "green" and improving behaviors regarding disposal of grass clippings and yard waste and proper treatment of trees and shrubs for insects/diseases. Yard care behaviors that are not "green" or improving include: Reducing lawn size, proper lawn fertilizing, using compost on lawns/gardens, and restoring or planting native plants vegetation on properties.

The 2006 Environmental Behavior Index survey of King County residents indicated that purchasing of Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) climbed since the prior survey in 2004, though choosing less toxic cleaning products and considering the environmental impacts of purchasing decisions was steady or declining against the 2004 survey results.

Data Source and Limitations

The data gathered in 2008 is not the same as that gathered in 2006 and 2004. Thus, it is not possible to make an exact comparison or identify  exact trends. However, the data gathered between 2006 and 2008 is the same.

 

Understanding residents' awareness and behavior guides a more cost-effective targeting of outreach efforts and helps evaluate whether the efforts to improve these behaviors are making a difference. The 2006 Environmental Behavior Index was conducted in spring of 2006.

 

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Additional Resources

  • Greendex 2008: Consumer Choice and the Environment, A Worldwide Tracking Survey
    This first-of-its-kind study by National Geographic and Globescan reveals surprising differences between consumers in developed and developing countries in terms of environmentally friendly behaviors. The survey was conducted earlier this year among consumers in both developing and advanced industrialized countries. One thousand people each in 14 countries answered questions that measured their behavior in the areas of housing, transportation, food and consumption of goods; each respondent earned a score that reflected the environmental impact of his or her consumption patterns, which included size and energy-efficiency of residence, commuting mode and distance and use of fresh water, among dozens of other measures. Consumers were then assigned a Greendex score (a measure of the relative environmental sustainability of their consumption patterns) out of 100. Consumers in Brazil and India scored highest (60); U.S. consumers scored lowest (44.9).
  • Greendex Calculator
    Learn what your personal Greendex (environmentally-friendly consumer behavior index) is. Then find out how to raise your score.
  • Environmental Behavior Index Survey
    This Sept 2008 report from King County's Department of Natural Resources and Parks provides a detailed picture of 24 consumer environmental behaviors.