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Aussie acquire the sustainability habit

Announcement posted by AHURI 08 Jun 2011

Australian households are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious taking up habits that save water and energy and reduce waste, according to new research.

A study led by Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) researcher Dr Kelly Fielding, found most people surveyed had installed water-efficient appliances, including low-flow taps and showerheads, hoses with triggers or timed watering systems, water-efficient washing machines, and dual-flush toilets.

Most had also installed compact fluorescent lighting and energy-efficient white goods.

But only a small minority, between 5 per cent and 12 per cent, had installed solar hot water or solar panels and the practices that had lowest uptake were taking shorter showers, using grey water on the garden, switching off appliances at the power point, and switching off unused computers and electronic equipment.

The study took the form of an online survey of 1194 households, 601 in Brisbane and 593 in Melbourne, conducted in December 2009 in which respondents were asked questions in relation to household water conservation, energy conservation and waste minimisation. This was followed up by qualitative interviews with individuals.

“Respondents expressed overwhelmingly positive attitudes to water and energy conservation and waste minimisation, with the average responses falling between 'quite good' or 'extremely good' on a seven point attitudinal scale,” Dr Fielding said.

“Survey respondents reported that a range of water and energy conservation practices had become a habit and reported a high level of commitment to engaging in these practices in the future,” she said.

In Brisbane, 57 per cent of householders reported that they had reduced their water use over the past three years, 41 per cent reported that they had reduced energy use in the same period, and 40 per cent reported that they had reduced the amount of waste they produced. In Melbourne 62 per cent of householders said they had reduced their water use.

The key reasons that householders cited for decreased water use were awareness of environmental threat, (e.g. drought), government regulation, (e.g. water restrictions), environmental concern and awareness of ways to save water.

The study, entitled ‘Environmental sustainability: understanding the attitudes and behaviour of Australian households’, found that differences in attitudes towards water and energy conservation related mainly to household tenure.

“Owners were more inclined (than renters) to engage in everyday sustainability behaviour as well as install water and energy saving appliances. Differences across household income groups were few. Single person households engaged in conservation through everyday actions, whereas multi person households and families were more inclined to install efficiency devises. Older people and those less educated were reportedly more inclined to curtail water use,” according to the study by the AHURI Queensland Research Centre.

The researchers said key triggers for households to engage in everyday sustainability practices included cost savings, education processes and positive feedback about appropriate water and energy research.

The researchers said the strategies likely to be the most successful in helping move households towards sustainability included: overcoming economic constraints, promoting environmental concern and awareness and encouraging the emergence of social norms supporting sustainability.

Summary report: http://www.ahuri.edu.au/publications/download/27764

Full report: http://www.ahuri.edu.au/publications/download/20550_fr

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