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Sustainable development Household Sustainability Survey 2008 Online version
3 Overview of results
In this section of the report, an overview of the survey results is provided. Relevant key differences are discussed in relation to people’s general attitudes towards water usage and waste, home ownership status, region and size of community, and water supply.
3.1 Beliefs about being informed
As detailed in Figure 1, the general public’s levels of perceived knowledge of environmental issues are mixed. While more than half believe that they know a fair amount to a lot about climate change (55 percent) and global warming (58 percent), the levels of being informed about terms such as carbon footprint, carbon dioxide emissions and carbon offsetting are significantly lower.
In relation to their general attitudes, 87 percent of all respondents agree that New Zealand’s households are generating too much rubbish and waste, and 86 percent agree that water is a limited resource and we shouldn’t waste it (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Levels of agreement regarding New Zealand’s levels of household waste, and wasting water (n=1000)
Q6. How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about the environment...?
Read text description for figure 2.
In relation to perceived urgency, 50 percent of the general public believe that it is very urgent that steps be taken to protect the environment (Figure 3), while a similar percentage of the population (47 percent) feel that it is somewhat urgent.
Figure 3: Perceptions of urgency to take steps to take care of the environment (n=1000)
Q7. How urgent would you say it is to take steps to take care of the environment?
Read text description for figure 3.
On an unprompted basis, the vast majority (83 percent) also believe that everyone is responsible for taking steps to take care of the environment (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Beliefs about who is responsible for taking care of the environment (n=1000)
Q8. Who do you believe is responsible for doing something about this?
Read text description for figure 4.
3.1.1 Level of informedness
Overall, 15 percent of respondents reported that they felt very informed about things they could do to help care for the environment, while a further 80 percent reported that they felt somewhat informed. Only 5 percent of respondents reported that they were not at all informed about things they could do to help care for the environment.
The results are fairly similar to those of the benchmark survey, with 97 percent of respondents reporting in the benchmark survey that they felt somewhat or very informed about things they could do to help care for the environment.
Figure 5: Level of informedness (n=1000)
Q32. And how informed would you say you are about the things that you can do to help care for the environment?
Read text description for figure 5.
Interest in learning more
The majority of respondents (74 percent) reported that they would like to learn more about things that they can do to care for the environment. A further 17 percent reported that they were already actively looking for and sharing with others information about what they can do to help the environment.
These results are similar to those of the benchmark survey, which found that 91 percent of respondents were either actively looking for information or were interested in learning more.
Figure 6: Levels of interest in learning more (n=1000)
Q33. Which of these describe your interest in learning more about whay you can do to care for the environment?
Read text description for figure 6.
Sources of information
Those respondents who reported that they did at least some things that were environmentally friendly (n=987) were asked how they had found out about doing these things.
Most commonly, respondents mentioned learning of things they could do to be more environmentally friendly through the media (mentioned by 70 percent of respondents) or through family and friends (32 percent). A further 20 percent reported that these things were common sense or general knowledge.
Only one respondent reported on an unprompted basis to have visited www.sustainability.govt.nz. When the remaining respondents were queried whether they had visited www.sustainability.govt.nz, 7 percent of the respondents said that they had, while 60 percent reported that they had not visited the website and one-third (32 percent) reported that they were not aware of the website.
The findings cannot be directly compared to the findings of the benchmark survey due to differences in how the question was asked. Yet it is worth noting that the media is once more the most common source of information for respondents (70 percent in 2008 compared with 82 percent in the benchmark survey).
Table 3: Sources of information (n=987**)
Q30. How have you mainly found out about doing these things?
| Total | Current sources of information in relation to the environment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I do one or two things that are environmentally friendly | I do quite a few things that are environmentally friendly | Most things I do are environmentally friendly | Everything I do is environmentally friendly | ||
| Base = | 987** | 201 | 512 | 256 | 18* |
| % | % | % | % | % | |
| The media | 70 | 60 | 75 | 72 | 66 |
| Friends and family | 32 | 35 | 32 | 31 | 34 |
| Common sense/general knowledge | 20 | 15 | 20 | 26 | 26 |
| Information from local council | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 5 |
| Websites | 10 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 19 |
| Education (school/universities/child’s school) | 9 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Through work | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| Information from manufacturers and retailers | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| Environmental groups | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| Trades people | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Library/reading/books | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Other | 7 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 7 |
| Nothing/no others | 5 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Don’t know/can’t remember | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
** Sub-sample based on those who reported that they do at least some things that are environmentally friendly.
3.2 Behaving sustainably
Reflecting their general attitudes about the urgency of taking steps to take care of the environment, three-quarters of New Zealanders feel that they are doing quite a few things that are environmentally friendly. Only 1 percent of respondents reported that they did not do anything that is environmentally friendly.
Figure 7: Beliefs about current lifestyle in relation to the environment (n=1000)
Q11. Which of these would you say best describes your current lifestyle in relation to the environment...?
Read text description for figure 7.
Total may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
The majority of New Zealanders also feel that they could be doing more to help the environment than they have been doing (Table 4). There were no significant differences in relation to these findings when viewed by the respondents, beliefs about their current lifestyle in relation to the environment; the exception was that those respondents who reported they do one or two things that are environmentally friendly in Question 11, are less likely to report that they would like to do a lot more to help the environment (11 percent, compared with 19 percent of the total sample).
Table 4:
Q12. And which of the following best describes how you feel about this?
| Total | Beliefs about current lifestyle in relation to the environment |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I don’t really do anything that is environmentally friendly |
I do one or two things that are environmentally friendly | I do quite a few things that are environmentally friendly | Most things I do are environmentally friendly |
Everything I do is environmentally friendly | Don’t know | ||
| Base = | 1000 | 10* | 201 | 512 | 256 | 18* | 3* |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| I’m happy with what I do at the moment | 28 | 53 | 28 | 26 | 32 | 30 | 100 |
| I’d like to do a bit more to help the environment | 52 | 30 | 61 | 53 | 46 | 28 | 0 |
| I’d like to do a lot more to help the environment | 19 | 18 | 11 | 21 | 22 | 42 | 0 |
| Don’t know | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Total may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
In relation to their behaviours, as detailed in Figure 8, while the majority report that they make efforts to save energy at home, and pay attention to the amount of water that they use, 29 percent of the respondents agreed that they do not pay much attention to their water use at home, while 16 percent are not giving much thought to saving energy.
The survey also found that almost one-third of New Zealanders find it difficult to change their habits to be more environmentally friendly.
Figure 8: Beliefs about current lifestyles (n=1000)
Read text description for figure 8.
Totals may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
The remainder of this report looks specifically at what different sustainable behaviours New Zealanders are showing most frequently, as well as what they would be willing to do, if they are not already doing so.
3.3 Using water efficiently
Reflecting the earlier finding that the majority of New Zealanders pay attention to the amount of water that they use in their home, the majority of the respondents reported that they are doing only full loads of washing and choosing water efficient washing machines and toilets when buying. They are, however, less likely to have replaced their shower head with a more water efficient one (45 percent), reduced the water in their existing toilet tanks by offsetting it with a solid object (31 percent) or to have a rainwater tank for outside water use (24 percent).
Figure 9: Personal behaviours – water use (n=1000)
Q15. Which of these would you say you currently do on a regular basis or already have in your home...?
Read text description for figure 9.
As detailed in Table 5 through Table 7, there were few differences in relation to these findings when viewed by whether or not the respondents’ residences’ water services were on a town water supply or metered, their home owner status, or by region/community size, with the following exceptions:
-
At 60 percent, respondents whose residences were not on a town water supply were significantly more likely to have installed a rainwater tank for outside use.
-
At 51 percent, respondents who were living in a home owned by family/parents were significantly less likely to be taking only one shower a day that is 3 to 5 minutes long.
-
At 50 percent, renters were significantly less likely to have bought a water efficient toilet.
Table 5:
Q15. Thinking now about your household’s use of water. Which of these things would you say you currently do on a regular basis or already have in your home?
| Town Supply | Metered | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Yes | No | Don’t know | Yes | No | Don’t know | |
| Base = | 1000 | 872 | 106 | 22* | 391 | 418 | 63 |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Only do full loads of washing | 82 | 81 | 90 | 76 | 82 | 79 | 85 |
| Have one shower a day that is 3 to 5 minutes long | 73 | 73 | 75 | 64 | 75 | 74 | 63 |
| Replace your shower head with one that is more water efficient | 45 | 46 | 45 | 31 | 43 | 51 | 35 |
| When buying a new toilet, choose one that is water efficient | 67 | 67 | 66 | 49 | 69 | 69 | 52 |
| When buying a new washing machine, choose one that is water efficient | 80 | 81 | 78 | 56 | 83 | 80 | 75 |
| Install a rainwater tank for outside use | 24 | 19 | 60 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 16 |
| Reduce the volume of water in your existing toilet tank (by putting a solid object such as a bottle of water in the tank to reduce its volume) | 31 | 31 | 29 | 35 | 38 | 25 | 25 |
| None | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
Table 6:
Q15. Thinking now about your household’s use of water. Which of these things would you say you currently do on a regular basis or already have in your home?
| Home owner status | Have a garden | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Home owner | Family (parents) own home | Renting/flatting | Yes | No | |
| Base = | 1000 | 821 | 60 | 119 | 944 | 56 |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Only do full loads of washing | 82 | 80 | 86 | 87 | 82 | 75 |
| Have one shower a day that is 3 to 5 minutes long | 73 | 77 | 51 | 69 | 74 | 63 |
| Replace your shower head with one that is more water efficient | 45 | 47 | 46 | 39 | 45 | 45 |
| When buying a new toilet, choose one that is water efficient | 67 | 71 | 54 | 50 | 67 | 64 |
| When buying a new washing machine, choose one that is water efficient | 80 | 79 | 82 | 81 | 80 | 70 |
| Install a rainwater tank for outside use | 24 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 23 |
| Reduce the volume of water in your existing toilet tank (by putting a solid object such as a bottle of water in the tank to reduce its volume) | 31 | 28 | 45 | 36 | 30 | 40 |
| None | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
Table 7:
Q15. Thinking now about your household’s use of water. Which of these things would you say you currently do on a regular basis or already have in your home?
| Total | North Island Rural (under 30,000) | North Island Urban (over 30,000) | South Island Rural (under 30,000) | South Island Urban (over 30,000) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base = | 1000 | 257 | 424 | 128 | 166 | 25* |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Only do full loads of washing | 82 | 84 | 80 | 86 | 81 |
85 |
| Have one shower a day that is 3 to 5 minutes long | 73 | 75 | 74 | 78 | 64 |
89 |
| Replace your shower head with one that is more water efficient | 45 | 48 | 45 | 46 | 47 |
26 |
| When buying a new toilet, choose one that is water efficient | 67 | 69 | 67 | 69 | 64 |
45 |
| When buying a new washing machine, choose one that is water efficient | 80 | 78 | 79 | 82 | 82 |
78 |
| Install a rainwater tank for outside use | 24 | 31 | 22 | 26 | 18 |
13 |
| Reduce the volume of water in your existing toilet tank (by putting a solid object such as a bottle of water in the tank to reduce its volume) | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 26 |
38 |
| None | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
0 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
Relationship between attitudes towards water resources and using water efficiently
The survey found that there is a relationship between members of the general public’s attitudes and beliefs whether water is a limited resource, and some of their water-usage behaviours.
As detailed in Table 8, those who agree or strongly agree that water is a limited resource are much more likely to be doing only full loads of washing, limiting their showers and reducing the volume of water in their toilet tanks. Respondents who disagree that water is a limited resource are significantly less likely to be undertaking these activities.
Table 8:
Q15. Thinking now about your household's use of water. Which of these things would you say you currently do on a regular basis or already have in your home?
| Water is a limited resource and we shouldn’t waste it | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Agree/Strongly Agree | Disagree/Strongly Disagree | Neutral/Don't know | |
| Base = | 1000 | 864 | 113 | 23* |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Only do full loads of washing | 82 | 83 | 71 | 82 |
| Have one shower a day that is 3 to 5 minutes long | 73 | 75 | 65 | 58 |
| Replace your shower head with one that is more water efficient | 45 | 47 | 37 | 26 |
| When buying a new toilet, choose one that is water efficient | 67 | 67 | 64 | 53 |
| When buying a new washing machine, choose one that is water efficient | 80 | 81 | 74 | 65 |
| Install a rainwater tank for outside use | 24 | 24 | 22 | 37 |
| Reduce the volume of water in your existing toilet tank (by putting a solid object such as a bottle of water in the tank to reduce its volume) | 31 | 32 | 21 | 25 |
| None | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
Similarly, we examined the findings by the respondents’ levels of agreement/disagreement with the statement I don’t pay much attention to the amount of water I use at home. We found that those members of the general public who disagreed/strongly disagreed with the statement were more likely to be engaging in more sustainable water usage behaviours when compared with those who agreed with the statement (Table 9).
Table 9:
Q15. Thinking now about your household's use of water. Which of these things would you say you currently do on a regular basis or already have in your home?
| I don’t pay much attention to the amount of water I use at home | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Agree/Strongly Agree | Disagree/Strongly Disagree | Neutral/Don't know | |
| Base = | 1000 | 263 | 715 | 22* |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Only do full loads of washing | 82 | 78 | 83 |
90 |
| Have one shower a day that is 3 to 5 minutes long | 73 | 62 | 78 |
67 |
| Replace your shower head with one that is more water efficient | 45 | 37 | 48 |
65 |
| When buying a new toilet, choose one that is water efficient | 67 | 60 | 69 |
73 |
| When buying a new washing machine, choose one that is water efficient | 80 | 73 | 83 |
86 |
| Install a rainwater tank for outside use | 24 | 19 | 26 |
24 |
| Reduce the volume of water in your existing toilet tank (by putting a solid object such as a bottle of water in the tank to reduce its volume) | 31 | 26 | 32 |
31 |
| None | 1 | 4 | 0 |
0 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
3.3.1 Willingness to use water more efficiently
As detailed in Table 10, the majority of those New Zealanders who do not currently have water efficient washing machines, toilets or shower heads in their homes are willing to choose a more efficient one when purchasing in the future. However, among the quarter of New Zealanders who are not currently taking only one short shower a day, less than half (46 percent) are willing to do so.
Table 10:
Q16. And which would you be willing to do?
| Bases vary^ | Willing to do |
|---|---|
| % | |
| Only do full loads of washing (n=188) | 44 |
| When buying a new washing machine, choose one that is more water efficient (n=199) | 72 |
| Have no more than one 3- to 5-minute shower a day (n=230) | 46 |
| When buying a new toilet, choose one that is more water efficient (n=514) | 78 |
| Replace shower head with one that’s is more water efficient (n=516) | 66 |
| Reduce water volume in your existing toilet by putting solid object in the tank (n=692) | 59 |
| Install a rainwater tank for outside use (n=591) | 50 |
^ Sub-samples based on those respondents who reported not having specific water efficient objects or practices in place in their home.
There were no significant differences in relation to these findings when the results for the different sub-samples of respondents were examined by whether or not the respondents were on a town water supply or metered, or by home owner status or region/community size, with one exception:
-
At 74 percent, those respondents who were renting or flatting, and who had not already put a solid object in the toilet tank, were more willing to do so, than the total sub-sample (59 percent).
Relationship between attitudes towards water resources and willingness to use water efficiently
As detailed in Table 11 through Table 14, those members of the general public who agree that water is a limited resource are significantly more likely to be willing to engage in certain sustainable water-usage behaviours, than are those who do not believe that water is a limited resource.
Table 11:
Q16. And which would you be willing to do? – Full loads washing
| Water is a limited resource and we shouldn’t waste it | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Agree/Strongly Agree | Disagree/Strongly Disagree | Neutral/Don't know | |
| Base = | 188** | 151 | 34 | 3* |
| % | % | % | % | |
| No | 56 | 54 | 74 | 0 |
| Yes | 44 | 46 | 26 | 100 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
**Sub-sample based on those respondents who reported not doing full loads of washing.
Table 12:
Q16. And which would you be willing to do? – Replace shower head
| Water is a limited resource and we shouldn’t waste it | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Agree/Strongly Agree | Disagree/Strongly Disagree | Neutral/Don't know | |
| Base = | 516** | 429 | 70 | 17* |
| % | % | % | % | |
| No | 34 | 30 | 55 | 44 |
| Yes | 66 | 70 | 45 | 56 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
**Sub-sample based on those respondents who reported they had not replaced their shower head with a more water efficient model.
Table 13:
Q16. And which would you be willing to do? – Install rain water tank
| Water is a limited resource and we shouldn’t waste it | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Agree/Strongly Agree | Disagree/Strongly Disagree | Neutral/Don't know | |
| Base = | 758** | 656 | 86 | 16* |
| % | % | % | % | |
| No | 50 | 48 | 61 | 61 |
| Yes | 50 | 52 | 39 | 39 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
**Sub-sample based on those respondents who reported they had not installed a water tank for outside use.
Table 14:
Q16. And which would you be willing to do? – Reduce volume of water in toilet tank
| Water is a limited resource and we shouldn’t waste it | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Agree/Strongly Agree | Disagree/Strongly Disagree | Neutral/Don't know | |
| Base = | 692** | 586 | 88 | 18* |
| % | % | % | % | |
| No | 41 | 39 | 53 | 45 |
| Yes | 59 | 61 | 47 | 55 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
**Sub-sample based on those respondents who reported they had not reduced the volume of water in their toilet tank by putting in a solid object.
When viewed by whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement I don’t pay much attention to the amount of water I use at home, the only significant differences related to their willingness to take only one 3- to 5-minute shower a day (Table 15), and replace their shower head with a more efficient model (Table 16).
Table 15:
Q16. And which would you be willing to do? – Have a 3 to 5 minute shower
| I don’t pay much attention to the amount of water I use at home | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Agree/Strongly Agree | Disagree/Strongly Disagree | Neutral/Don't know | |
| Base = | 230** | 86 | 138 | 6* |
| % | % | % | % | |
| No | 54 | 64 | 47 | 66 |
| Yes | 46 | 36 | 53 | 34 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
**Sub-sample based on those respondents who reported they were not currently taking a single 3- to 5-minute shower per day.
Table 16:
Q16. And which would you be willing to do? – Replace shower head
| I don’t pay much attention to the amount of water I use at home | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Agree/Strongly Agree | Disagree/Strongly Disagree | Neutral/Don't know | |
| Base = | 516** | 159 | 348 | 9* |
| % | % | % | % | |
| No | 34 | 41 | 29 | 66 |
| Yes | 66 | 59 | 71 | 34 |
Total may exceed 100% because of multiple response.
*Caution: low base number of respondents – results are indicative only.
**Sub-sample based on those respondents who reported they had not replaced their shower head with a more water efficient model.
Figure 10 gives a summary view of the combined percentages of those members of the general public who are currently undertaking certain behaviours that are more water efficient, or are willing to undertake them.
Figure 10: Personal behaviours – water use (n=1000)
Q15. Which of these things would you say you currently do on a regular basis or already have in our home...?
Q16. And which of these would you be willing to do?
Read text description for figure 10.
Notably, only three respondents to the survey (less than 1 percent) were not currently undertaking any of these behaviours and were not willing to do so.
