UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM SOLID WASTE RESEARCH PROGRAM Undergraduate Project Report. Tap Into a Healthier Bottle: A Better Way to Hydrate

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1 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM SOLID WASTE RESEARCH PROGRAM Undergraduate Project Report Tap Into a Healthier Bottle: A Better Way to Hydrate June 2009 Student Investigators: Soren Cesar and Kayla Johnson Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sara McFall Sullivan Department of Psychology University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

2 Abstract In this study, attitudes and motivations of participants in regards to bottled water consumption were assessed over the course of the academic school year at UW-La Crosse. The participants were assigned to one of two groups. The control group took a survey and baseline data was recorded. The experimental group took the initial survey and participated in an intervention that was meant to change their attitudes about bottled water and ultimately decrease their use two weeks later. Both groups took a final survey at the end of the semester to determine whether our intervention had been effective and supported our hypothesis. Introduction Bottled water use has grown tremendously in recent years. In 2007, bottled water ranked as the second largest commercial beverage category by volume. Volume sales surpassed 8.8 billion gallons or over 29 gallons per person. This represents over 11.7 billion dollars in sales that year. Although the United States ranked ninth in the world in water usage per capita, we ranked first in annual growth rate from 2002 to 2007 (International Bottled Water Association, 2007). Increased consumption of bottled water is problematic for three obvious reasons. First, it takes a tremendous amount of energy and resources, namely 17 million barrels of oil per year (Food and Water Watch, 2007) to produce billions of plastic bottles per year. Secondly, roughly 86% of plastic water bottles end up in landfills not being recycled (Food and Water Watch, 2007). Finally, many cities like La Crosse choose to burn those plastic bottles along with other trash in order to create electricity for local usage, thus releasing many toxic (cancerous) byproducts, including chlorine gas and heavy metal particles (Food and Water Watch, 2007). In the city of La Crosse, WI as elsewhere around the country, the tap water is continually tested year round for safety. The city s tap water must adhere to rigid E.P.A. guidelines for 1

3 contaminant levels and other water quality safety standards. There have been no violations for tap water contaminants in either round of its mandatory 2005 or 2007 tests (City of La Crosse Water Utility, 2007). Therefore we feel confident in promoting greater usage of tap water to individuals who currently choose bottled water because of the perceived safety. Interestingly enough, the regulations are not the same, since bottled water is regulated as a food product under the F.D.A. according to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. There are more regulations governing the quality of tap water than bottled water (and water regulations) are more stringent than the Food Drug Administrations standards for bottled water (Arnold & Larson, 2006). Even according to Benjamin Grumbles, head of the EPA s water programs, It s an urban myth that bottled water is safer than tap water (Springen, 2007). In spite of the obvious problems associated with bottled water use, there is little research focused on individuals motivation for water consumption choices. Research is needed to determine the motivational differences between individuals who choose filtered water, reusable bottles, and individuals who choose bottled water (Mackey, Davis, Boulos, Brown, & Crozes, 2005). Therefore we feel it is vital to study the attitudes and behaviors regarding individuals patterns of water consumption. Understanding motivation is critical for our development of methods to reduce the use of plastic water bottles and increase the use of refillable water bottles with tap water or filtered water. Because of the tremendous environmental strain created by the production, use, and disposal of plastic water bottles and related health concerns, it is necessary to understand why people choose bottled water, and equally important to understand why others may choose refillable bottles. Therefore it will be very beneficial not only from an environmental standpoint, but also from a safety standpoint, to identify effective ways to encourage refillable bottle use through the evaluation of our program. 2

4 There are many misconceived viewpoints by individuals about the safety of bottled water and tap water and this research is designed to gauge those viewpoints and establish a baseline of perception for individuals regarding bottled water and tap water. We will conduct a field experiment in which baseline and post intervention data will be collected. Participants will be college students aged who live in the residence halls on campus. In order to identify baseline attitudes toward and patterns of consuming water, participants from several different residence halls will complete a questionnaire covering topics such as water safety, quality, status associated with particular brands of bottled water, convenience, and marketing effectiveness. Based on analysis from this pre-assessment, we will design a set of experiences for the experimental group. The purpose of these experiences is to encourage the use of refillable bottles by altering attitudes and behaviors related to bottled water consumption. These experiences include: a tap water vs. bottled water taste test, informational meeting on the environmental effects of bottled water production and consumption, and periodic informational s concerning the topics. We will also provide information about the effects of bottled water use on the environment at a local and global level so the participants will develop a better understanding of the ways bottled water consumption is affecting our society. Refillable, BPA-free bottles will be provided to the experimental group to be used over the course of the experiment. We will have a control group that will take the survey at the beginning of the study, but will not receive information that would create a bias towards or against the use of bottled water. We will have the participants complete roughly the same survey one to one and one half months later to reassess their attitudes towards bottled water consumption. In doing this, we will be able to determine whether or not the experience and information provided to the experimental group changed 3

5 their opinions and/or altered their behavior. We will provide the control group with the information about the effects of bottled water use at this time to hopefully change their minds as well about the subject. Methods Participants were college undergraduates living in the residence halls on the UWL campus. Once approval for entering the dorms was obtained, we randomly selected six residence halls, three for the experimental group and three for the control group. Of the six residence halls, ten people showed up for our survey, so we modified our tactic and asked students as they came in and out of the residence hall at random if they would take our survey and then participate in our study. All surveys were coded as to remain anonymous and confidential. Surveys were separated by hall into the control and experimental groups. Both groups took the same initial survey. We had a third party generate a list of the participant addresses so they remained confidential, and using addresses, we contacted the experimental group and asked them to attend our intervention session. Experimental group participants who attended the session were given a blind taste test including several varieties of bottled water, tap water, and filtered water. Participants rated the water on taste preference. Participants were also given a folder with an informational sheet about bottled water and tap water, environmental impact, safety, and cost. Experimental participants were also provided with aluminum water bottles and asked to use them for the remainder of the semester instead of buying or drinking bottled water, and were asked to keep track of how often they used the provided bottle. A week later, experimental group participants were ed several pieces of information about bottled water and tap water and given several internet links to research the topic further on their own. Two weeks later both the experimental group and the control group were contacted through 4

6 and informed of the time and location for the final survey. The second survey consisted of a few extra questions for the experimental group dealing with their use of the provided aluminum bottles. Results Analysis was run on the initial survey only unless specified. It was found that participants believed that the city of La Crosse burned 0-60% of plastic bottles; although in La Crosse, 100% of plastic bottles are burned. Participants believed that the city of La Crosse melted or recycled % of plastic bottles and % are taken to landfills. However, the city of La Crosse does not melt, recycle, or dump plastic water bottles into landfills. With N=141, 128 participants responded that they owned a refillable bottle and 6 participants responded that they did not own a refillable bottle. Of the participants that responded that they owned a refillable bottle, the most common response that they used the bottle sometimes or often. When asked the amount of bottled water they purchase, most participants responded never or 1-2 times per month. There was no significant difference between the groups on reuse of plastic bottles or how often the participants drank tap water. Both groups responded that they rarely drank bottled water. However, the participants stated that they use their refillable bottles often. While the data did not show a significant increase in refillable bottle usage, participants responded as if their use of the refillable bottle increased. A change score was calculated for both groups between the initial and final survey on the amount of tap water consumed. Participants responded with a slight increase in tap water usage, but this data was not statistically significant at the.05 level. While 66% of participants agreed that plastic water bottles are an environmental problem, 60% of the participants did not consider water an important environmental issue. The attitude towards water quality was neutral among the participants of both groups. Participants stated 5

7 that they rarely or never received water quality information from professors, friends, family, or online and only sometimes received water quality information from television. Participants were asked which brands of bottled water they bought and see advertised. Aquafina was the brand that most participants saw advertised at 68% and Ice Mountain was the brand most often purchased by the participants at 46%. Participants perceived the safety of tap water in the city of La Crosse as sometimes, often, or always safe, but that the safety of disposable plastic bottles is sometimes or rarely safe. Overall, participants responded that it was not the individual s responsibility to monitor the safety of bottled or tap water. However, they believed it was the local community or government s responsibility to regulate tap and bottled water. Participants responded that % of their families use tap water. When asked about the types of water their families consume, 70% of participants responded that their families often or always drink tap water and 58% sometimes or rarely drank bottled water. While 61% of participants responded that their families always recycle and 58% of participants responded that they personally recycled, 84% of participants responded that they communities often and always recycle. On the final survey, participants were asked if their tap water consumption decreased, stayed the same, or increased. Of the participants that responded, 45% responded that their tap water use stayed the same and 50% reported an increase in tap water use. Participants reported that 44% did not change their bottled water use and 52% reported a decrease in bottled water use. These questions were perception based and data did not support a significant increase in tap water use or decrease in bottled water use after the intervention. Questions on the initial survey were combined to create scores concerning knowledge, conservation, convenience, safety, taste, cost, temperature, social norms, and family use. These combined scores were used to run linear regression analyses. A linear regression was run with how 6

8 often do I use a refillable bottle as the dependent variable. A correlation of.247 was found between knowledge and the use of refillable bottles. Knowledge significantly explains 6.1% of the variability in refillable bottle usage F(1,113)=7.293, p=.008 as explained in Table 1. Table 1. Regression Model summary of how often I use a refillable bottle. Mode l R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate R Square Change Change Statistics F Change df1 df2 Sig. F Change a a. Predictors: (Constant), Knowledge The results of the ANOVA are available in Table 2. Table 2. ANOVA for knowledge as a predictor of how often I use a refillable bottle. Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. 1 Regression a Residual Total a. Predictors: (Constant), Knowledge b. Dependent Variable: how often do i use refillable bottle A linear regression was then run using the same scores from the initial survey on how often I drink tap water. Family use and safety significantly accounted for 19.8% of the variability in tap water usage p=.025. The results of the ANOVA for family use F(1,119)= were significant at p=.001 and safety was significant F(2,119)= at p=.001. Results of the linear regression are available in Table 3. Table 3. Regression model summary of how often I drink tap water. Change Statistics Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate R Square Change F Change df1 df2 Sig. F Change 7

9 1.403 a b a. Predictors: (Constant), familyuse b. Predictors: (Constant), familyuse, safetot Results of the ANOVA are available in Table 4. Table 4. ANOVA for family use and safety as predictors of how often I drink tap water. Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. 1 Regression a Residual Total Regression b Residual Total a. Predictors: (Constant), familyuse b. Predictors: (Constant), familyuse, safetot c. Dependent Variable: how often i drink tap A linear regression was then run on how often do I drink bottled water. Family use and social norms significantly accounted for 16.1% of the variability in bottled water usage p=.011. The results of the ANOVA showed family use F(1,118)= significant at p=.001, and social norms significant at F(2,118)=11.170, p=.001. The results of the linear regression are available in Table 5 and the results of the ANOVA are available in Table 6. Table 5. Regression model summary of how often I drink bottled water. Change Statistics Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate R Square Change F Change df1 df2 Sig. F Change a b a. Predictors: (Constant), familyuse b. Predictors: (Constant), familyuse, socialnorm 8

10 Table 6. ANOVA for family use and social norms as predictors of how often I drink bottled water. Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. 1 Regression a Residual Total Regression b Residual Total a. Predictors: (Constant), familyuse b. Predictors: (Constant), familyuse, socialnorm c. Dependent Variable: how often i drink bottled A cross-tabulation was performed on how often I drink bottled water and perceived semester consumption of bottled water. The results indicated a trend of decreased bottled water use for the experimental group after the intervention at p=.054. Results of the cross-tabulation available in Tables 7 and 8. Table 7. How often i drink bottled * semester consumption bottled Crosstabulation increased 9 semester consumption bottled stayed the same decreased Total how often i drink bottled often Count Expected Count sometimes Count Expected Count rarely Count Expected Count never Count Expected Count Total Count

11 increased semester consumption bottled stayed the same decreased Total how often i drink bottled often Count Expected Count sometimes Count Expected Count rarely Count Expected Count never Count Expected Count Total Count Expected Count Table 8. Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp. Sig. (2- sided) Pearson Chi-Square a Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases 58 a. 8 cells (66.7%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is.14. A cross-tabulation was performed on how often I drink tap water and perceived semester consumption of tap water. The results indicated a significant increase in use of tap water for the experimental group after the intervention at p=.019. Results of the cross-tabulation available in Tables 9 and

12 Table 9. How often i drink tap * semester consumption tap Crosstabulation decreased semester consumption tap stayed the same increased Total how often i drink tap Never Count Expected Count Rarely Count Expected Count Sometimes Count Expected Count Often Count Expected Count Always Count Expected Count Total Count Expected Count Table 10. Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp. Sig. (2- sided) Pearson Chi-Square a Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases 60 a. 10 cells (66.7%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is.20. Discussion The initial plan was to center our research on the regularly scheduled cube meetings in the residence halls. Cube meetings are periodic meetings throughout the semester set up by each floor and run with the Resident Assistant for that floor. We planned on doing our research during these meetings because the residents are already required to attend so we would have a large potential sample of students. This also would have allowed us to get an even distribution of males and females since the floors in the residence are separated by sex. This assumed that the RAs would be willing to assist us with our research, from whom we got very little interest or response. We then modified our 11

13 approach by having the Hall Director of each residence hall every resident with a message inviting them to participate in our research. We located ourselves in the lobby of each of the six residence halls and asked students if they would complete our survey, at which we provided some refreshments and a raffle drawing if students agreed to participate in our study. We scheduled these sessions in each of the residence halls at the same time and location as the initial survey. Unfortunately, during our intervention sessions, hall activities were taking place simultaneously. Therefore, a considerable amount of those participants did not complete the final survey. This had a detrimental effect on the number of participants in the experimental group. Because of this, our ability to analyze the second survey data was limited. The intervention was unsuccessful in creating a significant change in water usage habits for several reasons. The most important to note is that most students in both groups reported that they already owned a refillable bottle before participating in the study and most reported they used their refillable bottle on at least a moderately regular basis. This study was also designed on the assumption that tap water and bottled water usage was strongly influenced by convenience and cost. However, data showed that family use was the strongest predictor of tap or bottled water usage for this population, and prior family use habits are not something that this research study was able to manipulate. Therefore, our intervention may have been unsuccessful because it was developed to manipulate the knowledge, convenience, and safety predictors. Family use habits may have been the strongest predictor of bottled water and tap water habits because the students in the study were first and second semester freshmen who have not been living on their own or supporting themselves for very long. Different results are expected with undergraduates that are older and have lived on their own longer. 12

14 Participants did, however, respond in the second survey that they perceived their bottled water use to decrease and their tap water use to increase. The data showed a significant difference between participant s perception and actual change in usage in the direction that would be expected based on our intervention. However, the actual change in bottled water and tap water usage by individual participants was not significant. This study was attempting to establish baseline data for undergraduate student s perceptions of tap water and bottled water. Also, understanding the motivating factors for use of tap and bottled water including convenience, cost, safety, knowledge, environmental affect, taste, temperature, and family use were also a focus of this research. This study also found no significant difference in taste preference between Dasani, Aquafina, Brita filtered, tap, Fiji, and Ice Mountain waters during the blind taste test; which is consistent with our hypothesis that participants would not be able to make a distinction between these different types of water. Lastly, our study attempted to manipulate participants knowledge and experience with bottled and tap water, by providing reusable bottles for the experimental group to use, by conducting the taste test, and by providing relevant information regarding several topics dealing with tap and bottled water. This was the only part of the study that was unsuccessful, and as stated above, we believe this was due to influencing factors that were beyond the tangible parameters of this study. This study should be treated as a first step in the study of bottled water and tap water habits. This study provides much evidence for the influencing factors regarding bottled and tap water use habits, as well as a method and platform for studying this topic in a collegiate setting. Much can and should be revised for this study to be expanded on, but much can be taken away from this study as well. While students showed little interest in the topic, students were, and can be persuaded to participate in such research by using incentives. Because of the tremendous environmental impact of 13

15 waste created by the ever growing use of bottled water, this research is a vital and valuable first step in establishing patterns and habits of use which are crucial if we are to attempt to reduce bottled water usage. Future research could be improved by expanding the study to the entire campus population, including graduate students and faculty. This could be easily done using an online or mail survey. Most importantly, the survey needs to be as convenient to complete as possible to increase participation. This would be the first step in understanding the bottled water and tap water habits of the larger population as we now believe based on this research that the influencing factors for older students and faculty would be different from the younger, on-campus population. Once the habits and motivations for the campus population are analyzed, another experimental design could be implemented on campus for students to participate. This would provide a different platform for manipulating the participant s use of bottled and tap water. 14

16 References Arnold, E. & Larson, J. (2006). Bottled water: Pouring resources down the drain. Earth Policy Institute. Retrieved September 13, 2008 at City of La Crosse Water Utility. (2007). Ongoing water utility projects, issues and activities. Retrieved September 15, 2008 at Food and Water Watch. (2007). Take Back the Tap. Why choosing tap water over bottled water is better for your health, your pocketbook, and the environment. Retrieved September 13, 2008 at International Bottled Water Association. Retrieved September 13, 2008 at Mackey, E., Davis, J., Boulos, L., Brown, J., & Crozes, G. (2005). Consumer Perceptions of Tap Water, Bottled Water, and Filtration Devices. IWA Publishing. Springen, K. (2007). Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap? It may be trendy to sip brand-name water, but experts say it's no healthier than drinking from the faucet. Retrieved September 13, 2008 at 15

17 Appendix Initial Survey Res Hall Survey # *Tap water refers to unfiltered tap water. Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree 1.I know where to recycle different materials such as plastic, glass, and paper Plastic bottles are an environmental problem Water quality is something I am concerned about regularly Most people drink bottled water at least once a week The City of La Crosse recycles (check all that apply): Y N Plastic Glass Paper Metal 16

18 Toxic material 6.The UWL campus recycles (check all that apply): Y N Plastic Glass Paper Metal Toxic material 7.My top three environmental concerns are: Global warming Energy Water Wildlife conservation. Waste Management Air pollution. Recycling 8.After being thrown away, plastic bottles in La Crosse are (circle a percentage range): Burned for energy melted and recycled landfills I have received water quality information from: Never Always Professors Friends Family

19 Online TV/Radio Other I own a refillable water bottle? Y N 11.If you answered yes to the above question, how often do you use your refillable water Never Always bottle on average? On average, how many 8oz glasses of water do you drink daily? None 1-2glasses 3-5glasses 6-8glasses 9+ glasses 13.I buy bottled water: Every day Once or twice a week Three or more times per week Once or twice a month Never 18

20 14.When I buy bottled water, I purchase: Never Always Single bottles or 12 packs or 30 packs When I buy bottled water, I most commonly buy (circle all that apply): Aquafina Evian Ice Mountain Glaceau Ethos Water Dasani Propel Deja Blue Smart Water Nestle Figi Perrier Fruit2O Aquapod Culligan Other(please list) 16.I reuse soft plastic soda bottles or soft plastic water bottles before throwing away or recycling: Never 1-2 times 3-4 times 5+ times Never Always 17.How often do you drink unfiltered tap water? How often do you drink bottled water?

21 19.How often do you drink filtered water? Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree When drinking water, temperature is important I buy bottled water because of its convenience I buy bottled water because of its safety I buy bottled water because of taste preference I buy bottled water because of its cost I use tap water because of its convenience I use tap water because of its safety I use tap water because of its taste I use tap water because of its cost I use filtered water because of its convenience

22 I use filtered water because of its safety I use filtered water because of its taste I use filtered water because of its cost My family regularly uses bottled water My family regularly uses tap water My family regularly uses filtered water I regularly see bottled water advertisements on TV I think Bottled water is becoming a popular beverage choice in social situations Bottled water brands I see commonly advertised on TV (circle all that apply): Aquafina Evian Ice Mountain Glaceau Ethos Water Dasani Propel Deja Blue Smart Water Nestle Figi Perrier Fruit2O Aquapod Culligan Other Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree 21

23 39.The City of La Crosse s tap water is generally safe to drink Drinking from disposable plastic bottles is always safe Drinking from refillable water bottles is always safe Drinking from aluminum refillable bottles is always safe Refillable bottles with BPA are always safe It is the individual s responsibility to monitor the safety of: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water It is the individual s responsibility to understand the environmental impact of: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water

24 46.It is the local community s responsibility to regulate safety and provide water quality information: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water It is the government s responsibility to regulate safety and provide water quality information: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water In your own words, please describe why you think you use bottled water. If you don t use bottled water, please explain why. 23

25 49.What is your age? 50.What is your sex/gender? (circle one) F M Other 51.Would you consider where you grew up URBAN SUBURB RURAL? (circle one) 52.My family used tap water % of the time. (circle one) 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, 70-80, 80-90, My family recycles Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree (plastic, metal, paper) My community recycles (plastic, metal, paper) I currently recycle (plastic, metal, paper) My family usually drinks tap water My family usually drinks filtered water My family usually drinks bottled water

26 Final Survey Control Group Res Hall Survey # *Tap water refers to unfiltered tap water. Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree 1.I know where to recycle different materials such as plastic, glass, and paper Plastic bottles are an environmental problem Water quality is something I am concerned about regularly Most people drink bottled water at least once a week The City of La Crosse recycles (check all that apply): 25

27 Y N Plastic Glass Paper Metal Toxic material 6.The UWL campus recycles (check all that apply): Y N Plastic Glass Paper Metal Toxic material 7.My top three environmental concerns are: Global warming Energy Water Wildlife conservation. Waste Management Air pollution. Recycling 8.After being thrown away, plastic bottles in La Crosse are (circle a percentage range): Burned for energy melted and recycled landfills I have received water quality information from: Never Always 26

28 Professors Friends Family Online TV/Radio Other Do you own a refillable bottle? Yes No 11.How often do you use your refillable water Never Always bottle on average? On average, how many 8oz glasses of water do you drink daily? None 1-2glasses 3-5glasses 6-8glasses 9+ glasses 13.I buy bottled water: Every day Once or twice a week Three or more times per week 27

29 Once or twice a month Never 14.When I buy bottled water, I purchase: Never Always Single bottles or 12 packs or 30 packs I reuse soft plastic soda bottles or soft plastic water bottles before throwing away or recycling: Never 1-2 times 3-4 times 5+ times Never Always 17.How often do you drink tap water? How often do you drink bottled water? How often do you drink filtered water? Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree When drinking water, temperature is important

30 21. I buy bottled water because of its convenience I buy bottled water because of its safety I buy bottled water because of taste preference I buy bottled water because of its cost I use tap water because of its convenience I use tap water because of its safety I use tap water because of its taste I use tap water because of its cost I use filtered water because of its convenience I use filtered water because of its safety I use filtered water because of its taste I use filtered water because of its cost

31 Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree 36. I regularly see bottled water advertisements on TV I think Bottled water is becoming a popular beverage choice in social situations The City of La Crosse s tap water is generally safe to drink Drinking from disposable plastic bottles is always safe Drinking from refillable water bottles is always safe Drinking from aluminum refillable bottles is always safe Refillable bottles with BPA are always safe It is the individual s responsibility to monitor the safety of: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water It is the individual s responsibility 30

32 to understand the environmental impact of: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water It is the local community s responsibility to regulate safety and provide water quality information: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water It is the government s responsibility to regulate safety and provide water quality information: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water Over the course of the semester has your tap water consumption: Decreased Stayed the same Increased 60. Over the course of the semester has your bottled water consumption: Decreased Stayed the same Increased 31

33 61. What was the most important thing that you learned from this experience? Final Survey Experimental Group Res Hall Survey # *Tap water refers to unfiltered tap water. Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree 1.I know where to recycle different materials such as plastic, glass, and paper Plastic bottles are an environmental problem Water quality is something I am concerned about regularly

34 4.Most people drink bottled water at least once a week The City of La Crosse recycles (check all that apply): Y N Plastic Glass Paper Metal Toxic material 6.The UWL campus recycles (check all that apply): Y N Plastic Glass Paper Metal Toxic material 7.My top three environmental concerns are: Global warming Energy Water Wildlife conservation. Waste Management Air pollution. Recycling 8.After being thrown away, plastic bottles in La Crosse are (circle a percentage range): Burned for energy

35 melted and recycled landfills I have received water quality information from: Never Always Professors Friends Family Online TV/Radio Other How often do you use your refillable water Never Always bottle on average? How often did you use the bottle we provided during the course of this semester? On average, how many 8oz glasses of water do you drink daily? None 1-2glasses 3-5glasses 6-8glasses 9+ glasses 13.I buy bottled water: 34

36 Every day Once or twice a week Three or more times per week Once or twice a month Never 14.When I buy bottled water, I purchase: Never Always Single bottles or 12 packs or 30 packs I reuse soft plastic soda bottles or soft plastic water bottles before throwing away or recycling: Never 1-2 times 3-4 times 5+ times Never Always 17.How often do you drink tap water? How often do you drink bottled water? How often do you drink filtered water?

37 20. Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree When drinking water, temperature is important I buy bottled water because of its convenience I buy bottled water because of its safety I buy bottled water because of taste preference I buy bottled water because of its cost I use tap water because of its convenience I use tap water because of its safety I use tap water because of its taste I use tap water because of its cost I use filtered water because of its convenience I use filtered water because of its safety

38 I use filtered water because of its taste I use filtered water because of its cost Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree I regularly see bottled water advertisements on TV I think Bottled water is becoming a popular beverage choice in social situations The City of La Crosse s tap water is generally safe to drink Drinking from disposable plastic bottles is always safe Drinking from refillable water bottles is always safe Drinking from aluminum refillable bottles is always safe Refillable bottles with BPA are always safe It is the individual s responsibility to monitor the safety of: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree 37

39 bottled water tap water filtered water It is the individual s responsibility to understand the environmental impact of: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water It is the local community s responsibility to regulate safety and provide water quality information: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water It is the government s responsibility to regulate safety and provide water quality information: Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree bottled water tap water filtered water

40 59. Over the course of the semester has your tap water consumption: Decreased Stayed the same Increased 60. Over the course of the semester has your bottled water consumption: Decreased Stayed the same Increased 61. What was the most important thing that you learned from this experience? 39