EcoFocus Questionnaire
March 2013, Wave 4
S1 What is your age?
S2Your gender
1Male 2Female
S3Your marital status
1Single, never married
2Living with partner
3Married
4Widowed
5Divorced/Separated
6Prefer not to answer
S4Including yourself, Number of people in your household
S5 Are you the parent/guardian of any children age 18 or younger living in your household
KidsAHow many children in your household are 18 years old or younger? [write in]______
KidsB Age of each child in household. If they are less than one year old, please enter 0.
KidsC Age in months for each child entered as 0 above:
S7Please indicate the total income for your household before taxes:
1Less than $35,000
2$35,000-$49,999
3$50,000- $59,999
8$60,000 - $74,999
9 $75,000 - $99,999
5$100,000-$149,999
6$150,000 or more
7Prefer not to answer[Terminate if selected]
S8Which of the following best describes your education
1Not graduated high school
2High school graduate
3Currently in college or other post-high school educational program
4College graduate
5Master’s degree or higher
6Trade or Technical School graduate
7Prefer not to answer
S9Which best describes you?
1White or Caucasian
2Black or African-American
3Asian
4Hispanic or Latino
5Other
6Prefer not to answer
S10aWhat is your 5-digit ZIP code?
S10bWhat state do you live in?
S11Are you:
1Employed full-time (35+ hours/week)
2Employed part-time (less than 35 hours/week)
7Full-time homemaker
3Unemployed
4Retired
Base: Total
Q1Below is a list of areas that might or might not be a concern for you personally. Using the scale below, please indicate how concerned, if at all, you are about each area:
5Extremely Concerned
4Very Concerned
3Somewhat Concerned
2Not Very Concerned
1Not At All Concerned
1 The state of the national economy
2 The security of my family's financial state
4 The cost of the national healthcare system
5 Pollution
6 Landfills and dumps
7 The threat of climate change
8 Loss of natural resources
13 Offshore oil drilling
Base: Total
Q2We are interested in learning about some of your everyday activities and lifestyle choices. For each activity below, click on the answer that best describes you:
6I do this always,it’s second nature for me
5I do this often
4I do this sometimes
3I don't do this but I plan to do this
2I don't do this and don't plan to do this
1I used to do this but don’t do it now
0Not an option for me
A1 Unplug appliances or electronics when not in use
A2 Turn off lights when not in use
B1Set temperature of water heater at 120 degrees F or lower
B3Wash laundry with cold water
B4Run the dishwasher without using the hot-dry cycle
B5Line dry laundry instead of running the dryer
C2Turn off the water while brushing my teeth
C5Use a personal reusable water bottle
D1Compost kitchen or other compostable household waste
D2Grow some of my own food.
D4Compost yard waste
D5Use up leftover foods
F1 Repair or mend clothing rather than replace when possible
G1 Use cloth or reusable shopping bag when grocery shopping
G2Take empty bottles or containers to be refilled at the store (i.e.for cooking oils, water, cosmetics)
J2Walk or bicycle my child to school instead of driving
J4Make sure I separate my recycling from my trash
J5Can fruits or vegetables
Base: Total
Q3Now, we'd like to ask about what you take into consideration when purchasing and using items for your household. How often do the following reasons play a role in choosing the products you buy and use?
5Always
4Usually
3Sometimes
2Rarely
1Never
1Health reasons: thinking about better nutrition, safer materials or ingredients, natural qualities and so forth, to protect or improve your own or your family's health.
2Environmental reasons: thinking about saving energy, reducing waste, avoiding chemicals or pollutants, and so forth, to protect or improve the environment.
3Economic reasons:thinking about saving money either in the short term or over the long term.
Those who respond always, usually or sometimes to Q3 = Consumers Who Care (CWC)
Base: CWC
Q4aPlease indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements as they relate to you personally:
5Strongly Agree
4Agree
3Neither Agree nor Disagree
2Disagree
1Strongly Disagree
B3I am usually willing to spend more for quality.
C2It is hard to figure out what choices to make in order to have a more eco-friendly home or lifestyle.
C4I pay attention to where the ingredients in my foods or beverages are grown.
D2Whether you believe in global warming or not, reducing waste and pollution is just common sense.
E1I have more important problems to focus on than the environment right now.
E4To me, it is usually worth paying more for healthier products.
I4I have a great deal of control over my health, based on the choices I make.
J4To me, it is usually worth paying more for eco-friendly products.
K1To me, it is usually worth paying more for products that are produced locally.
K2I have avoided purchasing products from companies when I learned that they did not have environmentally responsible practices.
K3I have avoided purchasing products from companies when I learned that they did not have socially responsible practices.
K4Sustainability means living in a way that ensures future generations will be able to have theconveniences and luxuries we enjoy today.
K5Many sustainable or green solutions are not practical for my lifestyle today.
Base: CWC
Q5a Thinking about your eco-friendly choices, please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.
5Strongly Agree
4Agree
3Neither Agree nor Disagree
2Disagree
1Strongly Disagree
A1Most of the efforts I take to be green or eco-friendly probably won't have an effect in my lifetime.
A3Little changes I make to my lifestyle can add up to big improvements for the environment.
A4Being eco-friendly is a way to improve my quality of life
A5 Trying to be more eco-friendly has meant having more time together as family.
B3Making eco-friendly choices is a new mindset for me.
B4Being eco-friendly means continually rethinking the choices I make.
D2Having a cleaner environment will mean less cancer and disease in the future.
D3Better personal health is a big benefit of an eco-friendly lifestyle.
D4Trying to be more eco-conscious has helped me to be more physically active.
D5I have a great deal of control over how healthy my home is for me and my family.
Q5b.1A cleaner planet starts at home.
7 I am very conscious about trying to save energy.
9 I am very conscious about trying to save water.
Base: CWC
Q5cThinking about your shopping choices, please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements,.
5Strongly Agree
4Agree
3Neither Agree nor Disagree
2Disagree
1Strongly Disagree
A1I wish I could buy environmentally friendly products more often, but they are often not affordable.
A2I really only make eco-friendly choices that save me money.
A4I wish I could buy environmentally friendly products more often, but they are often not available.
B1I am not willing to make compromises on quality for eco-friendly products.
B2I am not willing to make compromises on performance for eco-friendly products.
C2I look for changes that we can do as a family to make our home or lifestyle greener or more eco-friendly.
D2Over the last few years, I have changed the ways I do things to make choices that are better for the environment.
D3With each step I take to make my home or lifestyle more eco-friendly, it gets easier to take the next step.
E1My friends and family look to me for information about environmental and green issues.
E4I am more knowledgeable than I used to be about making my home and lifestyle greener or more eco-friendly.
F4I have changed what I buy in order to reduce the amount of chemicals we are exposed to in our home.
F5I have changed what I buy in order to reduce our exposure to chemicals from food or beverage packaging.
Base: Total
Q9ABelow is a list of topics that you may or may not associate with safety concerns. Please indicate how concerned you are, if at all, about the safety of each .
5Extremely Concerned
4Very Concerned
3Somewhat Concerned
2Not Very Concerned
1Not At All Concerned
0Do not know/not familiar with this
1Hormones or antibiotics in foods
3Genetically modified foods
4Plastics used in packaging food or water
6Liquid and airborne chemicals
9Imported foods
10Microwaveable plastic containers
12Biodegradable packaging used for packaging food
17BPA or Bisphenol A
18Phthalates such as DEHP
21Preservatives in foods and beverages
Base: CWC
Q10.Which one of the following best describes you and your approach to making your lifestyle more eco-friendly?
5 I already lead a very eco-friendly lifestyle
4 I am ready to make significant changes to have a more eco-friendly home and lifestyle.
3 I am ready to make moderate or small changes to have a more eco-friendly home and lifestyle.
2 I am not ready to make any changes to have a more eco-friendly home and lifestyle.
1 I don't feel any need to make changes to have a more eco-friendly home and lifestyle.
Base: CWC Parents
MB1(Parents).Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statementsas they relate to you and your family:
5Strongly Agree
4Agree
3Neither Agree nor Disagree
2Disagree
1Strongly Disagree
1 I try to avoid plastic in products my children use or play with.
3 I believe that when my children grow up and have their own households, they will have to give up some conveniences that we have today because of environmental consideration
4 It is important for my children to understand the impact they have on the environment based on the choices they make.
7 My child is supposed to bring waste-free lunches to school.
10 My kids know more about recycling and being eco-friendly than I do.
11 Trying to live a greener or more eco-friendly lifestyle creates teachable moments for me with my children.
12 Being eco-friendly contributes to our family time together.
13 When my kids are grown, I want them to remember me as teaching them to be environmentally responsible.
14 Teaching my children to be environmentally responsible makes me feel proud of myself.
17 I am concerned about the potential health effects of plastic in my child's life.
18 I want to minimize my child’s exposure to plastic in food and beverage packaging.
Q12. We are interested to hear about how often do you do the following yourself?
5Always
4Usually
3Sometimes
2Rarely
1Never
5 Think about the environmental impact of the products you buy and use
6 Think about the nutritional value of the foods you buy and eat
7 Think about the environmental impact of the restaurants you go to
12 Think about the social responsibility practices of a company before buying their products.
13 Think about the environmental impact of the packaging before I purchase products.
Base: CWC
Q14 Now, thinking about your priorities, how important is each of the following to you?
5Extremely important
4Very important
3Somewhat important
2Not very important
1Not at all important
A1 To buy locally grown food
A2 To buy organic foods
A7To reduce my carbon footprint
A9To use less plastic
B2To limit the amount of garbage my household produces
C1To support companiesthatprotect rainforests, coral reefs, or other ecological areas
C2To support family farms
C3To support animal rights
C4 To buy products that are produced in environmentally responsible countries
C5To set a good example of eco-friendly behavior for my family
D1To choose foods or beveragesthatare packaged responsibly
Base: CWC
Q15Now, thinking about when you are choosing brands, products, or services, please indicate the importance of each of the following:
5Extremely Important
4Very Important
3Somewhat Important
2Not Very Important
1Not at all important
1 To buy brands that support schools and children's education
2 To buy products that give some of their profits to charity
7 To change the brands you buy to make a more eco-friendly choice
8 To shop at retail stores that require that the products and brands sold in their store are eco-friendly
9 To buy Fair Trade brands
10 Togo to restaurants that require that the ingredients and packaging used in their restaurants are eco-friendly
11 To buy brands that are committed to environmental stewardship
Base: CWC
Q16B.Some companies are making commitments to specific issues. We’d like to know how this influences your choice of brands, products or services.
5Extremely positive influence
4Verypositive influence
3Somewhat positive influence
2Not a very positive influence
1Not at all a positive influence
1 Protecting natural resources
2 Reducing waste
3 Fair Trade practices
4 Fighting climate change
5 Reducing pollution
6 Making their operations energy neutral or energy producing
7 Cruelty-free practices
8 Using renewable resources such as wind or solar power
9 Sustainable forestry initiatives
10 Reducing their carbon footprint
12 Reducing the distance and carbon emissions used for shipping their products
13 Using less fossil fuel
14 Providing ways to dispose of products when no longer being used
15 Protecting family ownedfarms
17 Reducing water use
18 Protecting wildlife
21Providing ways to dispose of packaging after I buy something
22Only using packaging that is made with renewable or recycled materials
23Only using packaging that is recyclable
24Educating consumers on ways to be eco-friendly
Base: Total
Q19For the following products, how has your use changed, if at all, over the past year or two?
4Remained the same
5I am using this more often
3I am using this less often
2I stopped using this
1I never used this
10Organic foods or beverages
17Bottled water
18Juice and other beverages packaged in single serve plastic bottles
23Fresh foods or beverages
24Foods and beverages in cans
25Foods and beverages in glass containers
26Foods and beverages in flexible pouches
27Foods and beverages in thinner plastic containers
28Foods and beverages in plant-based plastic containers
29Beverages packaged in cartons, such as those used for milk or orange juice.
Base: Total who respond same/more/less often (3/4/5) to Q19_23 Fresh foods or beverages
Q19B)How are you trying to include fresh foods and beverages in your and your family’sdiet?
Choose all that apply.
- Buying more local products
- Buying more organic products
- Shopping at Farmer's Markets
- Buying more refrigerated rather than shelf stable beverages
- Buying more refrigerated rather than frozen or shelf stable foods
- Other
Base: Total
Q20aPlease indicate how much you agree or disagree with each statement regarding the packaging of products you purchase.
5Strongly Agree
4Agree
3Neither Agree nor Disagree
2Disagree
1Strongly Disagree
2I have changed what I buy because of the type or amount of packaging.
3 I try to buy products in refillable or reusable containers or packages.
4I try to buy beverages that use less plastic in their packaging.
5I try to buy products in packaging that is recyclable
Base: Total
Q20b
1Convenience is a major priority for me when it comes to packaging
2Natural and organic products need to do a better job of packaging their products with recyclable materials.
3Steel cans are more eco-friendly than aseptic boxes.
5I look for products in packaging that is made from recycled materials.
6I look for products in packaging that is made with biodegradable materials.
7I try to avoid products with double packaging, such as a cup of soup in a wrapper, or a bag of cereal or snacks inside a box.
8I look for products in packaging that is compact/flattens for easier recycling.
9I look for products in packaging that is designed to save fuel through efficient transport.
11I look for beverages in packaging that is made with renewable materials
12Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity.
Base: Total
Q20dWhich of the following certification seals or labels have you ever seen or heard of?
1 FAIRTRADE
2 U.S.EPA
3 Sierra Club
4 USDA Organic
5 Rainforest Alliance
6 WWF
7 WaterSense
8 Energy Star
9 SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative)
11 FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
15 FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
16 Marine Stewardship Council
17 Recycled Paperboard Alliance
20USDA Certified Bio-Based Product
21 NON-GMO Project Verified
19 None of the above
Q20eHow influential is this certification/ label in getting you to choose that product when you are making your purchase decisions?
1Extremely influential
2Very influential
3Somewhat influential
4Not very influential
5Not at all influential
NEW, Base: Total
Q20g: Next you will see various sets of packaging types. Please indicate the type of packaging that you usually prefer when buying (insert type), and also which packaging you consider to be the most eco-friendly choice for (insert type):
a)I usually prefer this type of packaging
b)I believe this is the most eco-friendly packaging
Type / A / B / C / D1 Multi-serve refrigerated juice / glass bottle / plastic bottle / carton / don’t know
2 Single serve shelf-stable beverage / aluminum can / plastic bottle / glass bottle / don’t know
4 Wine / glass recyclable bottle / bag in box / glass returnable bottle / don’t know
5 Soup / steel can / box / glass jar / don’t know
7 Tomato or pasta sauce / glass jar / steel can / plastic jar / don’t know
8 Milk / glass bottle / plastic bottle / carton / don’t know
Base: Total, Split sample: ½ food / ½ beverage
A: foods/food (show food)
B: beverages/beverage (show beverage)
Base: Total
Q20I:
a)When you are shopping for (insert foods or beverages), does a packaging container's health impact have an influence on your purchase?
1-Yes
2-No
b) What do you believe is the health impact of the following types of (insert foods or beverages)packaging?
4 Positive Impact
3 Negative Impact
2 No Impact
1 Don’t Know
- Glass bottle or jar
- (food: Plastic bottle, bag, wrapper, tray) (beverage: Plastic bottle)
- (beverage: Styrofoam cup)
- Aluminum can
- Steel can
- Flexible pouch
- Refrigerated carton
Base: Total
Q20J:
a) Does a (insert food or beverage) packaging container's environmental impact have an influence on
your purchase?
1-Yes
2-No
b) What do you believe is the environmental impact of the following types of (insert food or
beverage) packaging?
4 Positive Impact
3 Negative Impact
2 No Impact
1Don’t Know
- Glass bottle or jar
- (food: Plastic bottle, bag, wrapper, tray) (beverage: Plastic bottle)
- (beverage: Styrofoam cup)
- Aluminum can
- Steel can
- Flexible pouch
- Refrigerated carton
Base: Total
Q20K:
b) Which packaging containers can leave undesirable chemicals in your (insert foods or beverages)?
Check all that apply.
- Glass bottle or jar
- (food: Plastic bottle, bag, wrapper, tray) (beverage: Plastic bottle)
- (beverage: Styrofoam cup)
- Aluminum can
- Steel can
- Flexible pouch
- Refrigerated carton
- None of the above
Base: Total
Q20L:
b) Which packaging containers can change the taste of your (insert food or beverage)?
Check all that apply.
- Glass bottle or jar
- (food: Plastic bottle, bag, wrapper, tray) (beverage: Plastic bottle)
- (beverage: Styrofoam cup)
- Aluminum can
- Steel can
- Flexible pouch
- Refrigerated carton
- None of the above
Base: Total