Home Composter Bin User Study

Transcription

1 Home Composter Bin User Study Data Tables MarketLine Research SM, Inc. December 2002 Report questions may be directed to: Dave Bender MarketLine Research is located at: th Street S.E. Minneapolis, MN Tel: Fax:

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY...2 OBJECTIVES...2 KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS...2 DETAILED FINDINGS...3 WHO WE TALKED TO...3 BIN DISPOSITION & USAGE...4 PRODUCT EXPECTATIONS...6 COMPOSTING ACTIVITY...7 PRIOR EXPERIENCE...7 CURRENT USAGE...7 ANTICIPATED WINTER USE...9 PRICING SENSITIVITY...11 ORDER PROCESSING...12 ONLINE INTEREST...12 SHIPPING & HANDLING CHARGE...13 EVENT PICKUP...13 SPECIAL INTERESTS...14 QUESTIONNAIRE...15 Home Composter Study 1 November 2002

3 SUMMARY OBJECTIVES The overall objective of this study was to obtain feedback from a representative sample of Home Composter users who purchased bins from the SWMCB sponsored program primarily in the fall of 2001 and spring of In the case of Carver County, 25 purchasers from 1998 were also interviewed. Feedback was gathered to identify and measure: Product effectiveness in meeting buyers expectations Composting activity resulting from purchase - both yard and food wastes Frequency and volume of composting of potentially compostable food items Summer versus winter bin usage User price sensitivity to potentially higher priced bins, Interest in online ordering and potential for and price sensitivity to shipping and handling charges for delivery, and distance a purchaser is willing to drive to an event to obtain a bin. KEY FINDINGS Differences in survey responses were insignificant across most all user segments. Responses were compared for gender, age, previous composting experience, pricing sensitivity levels and food and yard composting activity levels. Where a limited number of statistically significant differences do occur they are reported in the detailed findings section of this report. Key performance related measures identified in the survey include: 78% of current bin owners stated the Home Composter bin met their expectations 90% of current bin owners stated they still have their Home Composter bin 85% of those having bins still are using them 79% of current bin owners are now composting both yard and food wastes Prior to purchase, 53% were composting both yard and food wastes 79% of current bin owners used their bins one or more times a week this past summer 75% of current bin owners willing to pay $25 a bin to make them more widely available On average, slightly more than two 5-quart buckets of food waste are composted per week More than one-third (36%) say it is unlikely they will use bins during coming winter months Nearly one in two (46%) say they are very willing to pay $25 51% of current bin owners stated they would be interested in ordering online using a credit card 51% of current bin owners expressed some degree of interest in online ordering CONCLUSIONS SWMCB bin program has attracted significant numbers of county residents that are new to composting. Bins meet or exceed expectations for a majority of bin purchasers. The Home Composter bin offer has stimulated broader composting of food waste. An aggressive promotional effort would be needed to encourage greater winter usage of compost bins Bin pricing has some elasticity. A significant portion of the market would likely support prices that are $5 to $10 higher than the existing offer. A sizable market (51%) exists for online ordering for which nearly 70% would expect to pay a shipping and handling charge. The most supportable charge for S & H would be in the range of 6$ to 10$. Home Composter Study 2 November 2002

4 DETAILED FINDINGS WHO WE TALKED TO Telephone surveys were conducted with 300 current bin users in early November Participants were randomly selected primarily from county lists of fall 2001 and spring 2002 bin purchasers. 1 The sample was managed so as to obtain representation coinciding with actual distribution of bins across the six county area during this timeframe. Since the number of bins distributed in Carver County was proportionately small in comparison to the other five participating counties, an interview quota was set at 25 for Carver County. Calling results are summarized in the table below. County # of Records % of Sample % of Responses Anoka 3,625 23% 22% Carver 1,009 6% 8% Dakota 1,819 11% 11% Hennepin 2 4,500 28% 27% Ramsey 2,511 16% 15% Washington 2,572 16% 16% Totals 16, % 99% Age and gender demographics are shown below. Mean age of respondents was 50 years. Age Segment % 18 to to to to to or more 10 Refused 3 Gender % Female 57% Male 43% Gender and age characteristics are very consistent with those identified in the Fall 2001 Survey. Demographic Fall 2001 Fall 2002 Gender - female 55% 57% Gender - male 45% 43% Average age 49 years 50 years 8% of current bin owners interviewed have a household member that is actively involved in environmental or conservation activities. 1 Carver County sample contained purchasers from This was done to examine long-term bin usage. 2 Hennepin sample does not include requests made by . Home Composter Study 3 November 2002

5 BIN DISPOSITION & USAGE S1. Before we begin, do you still have the Home Composter bin? Q2. Do you currently use your composter bin? To reach the desired goal of 300 completed interviews with current users of the Home Composter bin, a total of 391 bin purchasers had to be contacted and qualified for inclusion in the study. These purchasers were selected randomly from county sales lists. For comparison, results from Fall 2001Survey appear in parentheses. 351 (363) 3 Still Have 300 Currently Use 391 (384) 51 (60) Currently Don t Use Purchasers 40 (21) No Longer Have 90% of contacted bin purchasers still have possession of their Home Composter bins. As seen in the above diagram, 40 purchasers that were contacted no longer possessed the Home Composter bin. The 40 purchasers that no longer have bins are from county sales shown in the table below. County 4 Distribution Frequency Total % of Purchasers (391) Anoka Spring % Fall % Carver Spring % % Dakota Spring % Fall % Hennepin Spring % Fall % Ramsey Fall < 1% 16% Washington 16% Spring < 1% The Carver County sample contained purchasers from This was done to examine Home Composter bin use over a greater time period. The Carver County ending sample of 35 users included: 25 users that purchased in from the fall of 2001, and 7 from the spring of identified current users did not live within the SWMCB member counties. These individuals were not taken through the survey. 4 Percent of purchasers represented in calling sample. 5 78% of Carver County sample was from 1998 bin purchasers. Home Composter Study 4 November 2002

6 NON-USE OF BINS Stated reasons for no longer having the bin included: Giving the bin to a family member or as a gift to a family member Giving the bin to a neighbor or friend Allowing someone else to use the bin Of the 351 respondents that currently possess a bin, 85% (300) are currently composting with the bin. The 51 purchasers that no longer use bins are from county sales shown in the table below. County Distribution Frequency Total % of Purchasers (351) Anoka Spring Fall % Carver Spring 02 3 Fall % Dakota Spring 02 4 Fall % Hennepin Spring Fall % Ramsey Spring 02 2 Fall % Washington Spring 02 2 Fall % Non-use or discontinued use occurred at a higher rate for the longer-term bin owners from Carver County who purchased in Non-use by purchase period is summarized in the table below. Period % of Calling Sample Non-users Percent of Non-use Spring 02 60% 31 61% Fall 01 35% 14 27% % 6 12% Total 100% % The reasons given by the 51 individuals currently not using the bins are summarized in the table below: Reasons # Of Times Mentioned 6 Have not assembled it 12 Will use at future date 10 Uncertain where to put, no space 8 Lack of time/too busy 8 Still using old bin, no chance to use 6 Uncertain how to use/doesn t work 6 Lack of: garden, yard work, compost 5 Not convenient, too far 3 6 Note: Multiple responses were possible. Individuals could mention one or more reasons. Home Composter Study 5 November 2002

7 PRODUCT EXPECTATIONS Q7a. Using a 7-point scale where 7 means it has Exceeded your expectations and 1 means it has Not at all met your expectations, overall, how well has the Home Composter bin met your expectations? Expectations were met for nearly one in eight current enclosed bin owners (78%). This is down slightly from what was seen in the Fall of 2001 Survey. Expectations for 87% of that group of bin owners were met. One in four current bin owners (26%) state that their product expectations were exceeded. This compares with less than one in a hundred owners expressing a total lack of expectations being met. Of all 300 bin owners interviewed, only 22 (7%) felt their expectations hadn t been fully met. There were no significant differences in how older and younger and/or female and male product expectations were met. Q12. What are the primary reasons you decided to compost with the enclosed composter bin you purchased from the county? Responses to the above question helps to better understand the foundation upon which product expectations of bin purchasers are based. More than half of all purchasers (55%) state that the Home Composter bin meets a basic need a need primarily related to availability of compost generated fertilizer for garden use. For one in three purchasers (34%), the bins were obtained to meet environmentally related needs. For these purchasers, composting with the enclosed bins reduces waste disposal and presents a more environmentally sound approach to waste management. Nearly an equal number (32%) anticipated the enclosed bins would be easy to use providing efficiency and convenience by eliminating the need to haul away waste such as yard waste. About one in five (18%) were attracted by the enclosed bin design and appearance. The Home Composter bin was judged to be better in appearance when compared to homemade composts. The capacity and enclosed design features were viewed positively. Inexpensive pricing was mentioned by 12% of interviewed bin owners. The current $15 purchase price was seen as reasonable and to some cheap. Home Composter Study 6 November 2002

8 COMPOSTING ACTIVITY PRIOR EXPERIENCE Q11. Prior to getting your county composter bin, did you ever compost food waste or yard waste? Slightly more than half (53%) of all bin purchasers had prior composting experience before obtaining the Home Composter bins offered by the county. Composting yard waste was more widely practiced than was composting food waste. CURRENT ACTIVITY Q8. Do you compost food waste in the bin? Q9. Do you compost yard waste in the bin? Prior and current composting activities of the experienced compost purchasers are compared in the table below. As can be seen in the table, the Home Composter program has resulted in increased composting activity in the food waste stream. Composting of food waste has increased a total of 55%. Yard and food combined was up 50% (food & yard prior to 2002 bin purchase was 29% and after bin purchase 79%) and food only up 5% (food only prior to 2002 purchase was 1% and after bin purchase 6%). Current composting of food waste is slightly higher than levels reported in the Fall 2001 Survey (up 9% overall). Compost Activity Prior to 2001 Bin Purchase After 2001 Bin Purchase Prior to 2002 Bin Purchase After 2002 Bin Purchase Change in Activity Levels After Purchase 2001 to 2002 Food & Yard 40% 72% 29% 79% +7% Yard only 31% 24% 23% 15% -9% Food only 2% 4% 1% 6% +2% % composting 73% 100% 53% 100% % that did not previously compost Observations: 27% 47% The program is attracting more first time composters than what was seen one year ago 20% increase New bin purchasers are coming from ranks of yard waste composters who have more limited exposure to composting food waste 11% of 2001 bin purchasers were composting food prior to bin purchase (2% food only + 9% of food & yard) 7% of 2002 bin purchasers who were composting food prior to bin purchase (1% food only + 6% food and yard) Bin purchase is resulting in behavior change with gains in composting the food waste stream following purchase 76% composted food waste after purchasing bin in 2001 versus 11% prior 85% composted food waste after purchasing bin in 2002 versus 7% prior Home Composter Study 7 November 2002

9 Q10. Approximately what percent of your food wastes that can be composted do you put into your composter bin? N8a. Approximately what percent of your yard wastes that can be composted do you put into your composter bin? Nearly half of all Home Composter bin users (48%) compost 76% to 100% of food waste that can potentially be composted. This represents a statistically significant increase over levels reported in the Fall 2001 Survey of bin users. Food waste composting levels for the two survey periods are compared below in the table on the left. % Food Waste Stream 2001 Survey % Bin Users Survey % Bin Users % Yard Waste Stream 8 25% or less 42% 24% 25% or less 34% 26% to 50% 12% 16% 26% to 50% 23% 51% to 75% 16% 11% 51% to 75% 19% 76% to 100% 29% 48% 76% to 100% 22% 2002 Survey % Bin Users 9 Don t know 2% 1% Don t know 3% N1 For how long have you been using the compost bin purchased from the county? The majority of bin purchasers (79%) have been composting with their enclosed bins for six or more months. Length of use is summarized in the table below. Of 300 interviewed bin owners, 61% obtained their bins in the spring of 2002, 33% obtained bins in the fall of 2001 and 6% obtained bins in Results indicate a pattern of fairly consistent use throughout the ownership period. Length of Use % of Bin Users 10 Less than 6 months 18% Six months to a year 49% One to two years 23% Three to four years 4% Over four years 3% Don t know 3% N15. On average, how many standard 5-quart ice cream buckets of food waste do you think you compost per week during the summer months? Interviewed bin owners were asked about average weekly composting volume for the past summer. 5-quart ice cream buckets were used as a common measurement reference. 7 Total exceeds 100% due to rounding. 8 Yard waste stream percentages not reported in 2001 survey of bin users. Question appears for first time in current user survey. 9 Total exceeds 100% due to rounding. 10 Percentages are rounded from actual figures. Home Composter Study 8 November 2002

10 For the 233 bin owners that composted food waste, average summer composting volume was reported as slightly more than two 5-quart buckets per week. Weekly volume levels of food compost are summarized in the table below. Table on the right shows weekly averages by county. # of Buckets # of Bin Owners % of Volume None 18 8% One 77 33% Two 65 28% Three 27 12% Four 14 6% Five 7 3% Six 2 1% Seven 5 2% Ten or more 3 1% Don t know 15 6% % County Anoka Carver Dakota Hennepin Ramsey Washington average number of standard 5-quart ice cream buckets food waste per week (summer) Mean Nearly two-thirds of bin users (61%) report composting 5 to 10 quarts of food wastes (1 to 2 buckets) per week this past summer. Over ten percent (12%) report composting, on average, 15 quarts per week (3 buckets). ANTICIPATED WINTER USE N19a. How likely are you to use your compost bin throughout the coming winter months of December through March? Likelihood of winter use was assessed using a 7-point scale with 1 being Not at all likely and 7 being Very likely. Two-thirds of the bin owners had strong opinions. About twice as many (41%) stated they were Very likely to use bins in the coming winter months versus half that number saying they were Not at all likely (21%) to compost this winter. Overall, likely winter composters outnumbered unlikely winter composters 56% to 36%, respectively. To establish a reference point against which anticipated levels of winter composting could be judged, bin owners were asked at what frequency they added waste to their compost bins during the recent summer months. Results are summarized in the table below. Frequency of Adding Waste - summer # of Bin Owners % of Composters One or more times a week % Every other week 42 14% Once a month 14 5% Less than once a month 3 1% Don t know 0 Total % As seen in the above table, 8 of 10 Home Composter bin users were adding waste to their compost on a weekly basis throughout the past summer months. 94% of bin owners were adding to the compost at least every other week or more. Home Composter Study 9 November 2002

11 Winter compost use is anticipated to be significantly lower as seen in the table below. Note: 63 individuals, who stated they were Not at all likely to compost in the winter and the 4 who stated they didn t know, were not asked the question on potential frequency of winter use. Frequency of Adding Waste - winter # of Bin Owners % of Composters 11 One or more times a week % Every other week 45 19% Once a month 29 12% Less than once a month 33 14% Don t know 3 1% Total % A third fewer bin users anticipate adding to the bin on a weekly basis during winter months compared to reported summer month activity. Eleven times more winter users say they would add waste less than once a month than summer bin users reported. The 63 bin owners who stated that they were Not at all likely to use their bins during winter months were asked to give reasons. The three most common reasons relate to: Seasonality since activity of composting for many was mainly limited to yard waste (32%), Weather was a factor seen as impeding bin operation and comfortable access (36%), and Backyard location translated to inconvenience and / or difficult accessibility (35%). Typical enclosed bin owner comments included statements such as: I m not going to have anything to put in it in the winter. You can t compost snow. I m using it primarily for yard waste. I won t have any yard waste in the winter months. I think more about yard than I do food. Probably things don t compost as well in the winter months. Gonna be loaded with snow. It ll be snow on top of them and it could be iced up. It will probably be buried in the snow. It s so cold and far away. My bin is full from the summer. Not easy to get at. Difficult to get at during the winter. I don t want to walk through the snow to get to it. 11 Percentages are rounded from actual figures. Home Composter Study 10 November 2002

12 PRICING SENSITIVITY The following format was used to establish how current enclosed bin owners would react to three varied price offerings for the Home Composter bin. They were asked to assume that they were new potential bin purchasers. Prices were presented in order of highest ($40) to lowest ($25). Q18. For my next series of questions, I d like you to assume you are just now considering whether to obtain a composter bin from the county. Assume the home composter bin retails for $50. The county currently subsidizes the cost of bins making them available to county residents at $20 each. Using a 7-point scale where 7 means Very willing and 1 means Not at all willing, how willing are you to pay [INSERT PRICE OPTION] to make the bins more widely available to county households? a. Four-fifths of this retail price, a sum of $40 b. Three-quarters of the retail price, a sum of $34 c. One half of the retail price, a sum of $25 On the 7-point scale, the rating of 4 at the midpoint of the scale should be viewed as price neutral. The top three ratings (5, 6 and 7) should be viewed as an indication and measure of price insensitivity. Conversely, the bottom three ratings (1, 2 and 3) should be viewed as an indication and measure of price sensitivity. Reaction to the price levels indicates: At a retail price of $40, 42% are willing to purchase bins versus 44% that are not, At a retail price of $34, 50% are willing to purchase bins versus 35% that are not, and At a retail price of $25, 75% are willing to purchase bins versus 15% that are not. Age and gender differences in price sensitivity are minor and insignificant. Overall, pricing reaction in this survey is consistent with reactions noted in the Fall of 2001 Survey. In the diagram below, response is summarized for the range of prices tested in both surveys. 8 of 10 are neutral to or supportive of the $25 price option. This suggests a comfortable margin for increasing current pricing to $ Price Options 2002 Price Options PROPOSED PRICE $45 29% 17% 52% $40 29% 17% 52%.. 42% 12% 44% $34 29% 17% 52%.. 50% 13% 35% $30 53% 15% 30% $25 29% 17% 52%.. 75% 7% 15% $20 83% 4% 11% Key: willing neutral unwilling Home Composter Study 11 November 2002

13 ORDER PROCESSING ONLINE INTEREST N4. Using a 7-point scale where 7 means you are Very interested and 1 means you are Not at all interested, how interested would you be in the option to order a compost bin on-line using a credit card at a County website and have your purchase directly shipped to your home or another location of your choice? Interest in online ordering is mixed with 51% expressing some degree of interest and 42% expressing some degree of disinterest. The polarity of opinion is even more pronounced when comparing the very interested with the not at all interested both extremes are represented by 34% of bin owners. Interest in online ordering & delivery 58% are neutral to very interested Not at all interested Non-interest Non-interest Neutral Interest Interest Very interested Refused Don't know Total Frequency Percent With half the market expressing some degree of interest, a significant marketing opportunity exists, particularly if operating costs associated with current bin distribution can be significantly reduced with the addition of an online ordering option. Also of note is the fact that those most interested very interested are also the group most willing to pay for shipping and handling. Two-thirds (67%) of the very interested group would expect to pay a $6 to $10 dollar shipping and handling charge associated with online delivery. Online ordering interest was virtually the same for females and males (50% and 53%, respectively). Interest is identical for those with prior yard and food composting experience 51% each group. There is no significant difference in interest level when compared to pricing level acceptance as seen in the table below. Pricing Level Support % Interested in Online Ordering $40 54% $34 58% $25 58% The one significant difference in interest levels is age related. 65% of individuals under 50 years age are interested versus 39% of those 50 or older. Home Composter Study 12 November 2002

14 SHIPPING & HANDLING CHARGE N6. For this on-line ordering and delivery service, would you expect to pay a shipping and handling charge of [READ LIST] 16 to 20 dollars 11 to 15 dollars 6 to 10 dollars, or Would you not be willing to pay for the convenience? [DO NOT READ] Don t know Most of those interested in online bin ordering expect an associated shipping and handling charge in the range of $6 to $10. Those expecting to pay an S & H fee outnumber those not willing to pay one by a 2 to 1 margin (61% to 30%, respectively). There were no differences in expectations associated with gender or age. Price willing to pay for online ordering & delivery service Total Would you not be willing to pay for the convenience 6 to 10 dollars 11 to 15 dollars 16 to 20 dollars Don't know Total Not interested in online Frequency Percent Percent of interested EVENT PICKUP N7. If compost bins were available at events in the metro area, how far would you be willing to drive to an event where you could purchase the bin directly? Would you drive [READ LIST] Over 15 miles 11 to 15 miles 5 to 10 miles, or Under 5 miles [DO NOT READ] Not willing [DO NOT READ] Don t know Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) said they would drive a distance of 5 to 15 miles to an event to purchase a bin directly. Only 4 of the 300 individuals interviewed stated that they were not willing to drive any distance. Home Composter Study 13 November 2002

15 More males were willing to drive a shorter distance of 5 to 10 miles than were females (47% versus 36%, respectively). In contrast, more females were willing to travel a slightly longer distance of 11 to 15 miles (29% versus 16%, respectively). There was no gender difference beyond 15 miles each gender according for 13%. At a distance of 5 to 10 miles, there is no difference in willingness between those under 50 and 50 or over roughly 40% of each group is willing to travel this distance. At a distance of 11 to 15 miles, individuals under 50 are more willing than those 50 or over (29% versus 19%, respectively). SPECIAL INTERESTS COMPOSTING CD-ROM INTEREST N16. Would you be interested in purchasing an interactive CD-ROM on back yard composting? 91% of bin owners stated they would not be interested. INTEREST IN SELECT GROUP N12. Would you be interested in being part of a select group to receive updates on other environmental programs and information? 37% of current bin owners would be interested in receiving updates. There is equal interest across demographic segments and between individuals with prior yard and food composting experience. The group most interested in ordering online would also be the most interested (46%) in joining a select group. Home Composter Study 14 November 2002

16 QUESTIONNAIRE Quota (300 interviews) Anoka 67 Carver 25 Dakota 33 Hennepin 82 Ramsey 46 Washington 47 ASK TO SPEAK WITH PERSON LISTED ON SAMPLE, IF NOT AVAILABLE ASK FOR BEST TIME TO CALLBACK Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I m calling on behalf of your county s Environmental Services Department. Your name was chosen at random from the list of people who purchased a Home Composter bin from your county. We are conducting a brief usage survey and would like to include your opinions. All responses will remain confidential and be combined with other people participating in this survey. [IF RESPONDENT ASKS, THIS SURVEY WILL TAKE ABOUT 10 MINUTES DEPENDING ON THEIR RESPONSES.] S1. Before we begin, do you still have the Home Compost bin? Yes [SKIP TO Q1.] No [CONTINUE] S2. Did you dispose of the compost bin, or what did you do with it? [RECORD RESPONSE VERBATIM AND TERMINATE] Q1. To make sure we talk with a representative sample of people who purchased compost bins, in what county do you live? Anoka Carver Hennepin Washington Dakota Ramsey Other [TERMINATE] Q2. Do you currently use your compost bin? Yes [SKIP TO Q12.] No [CONTINUE] Q3. What are the primary reasons you don t use the bin? [RECORD VERBATIM AND TERMINATE] Q12. What are the primary reasons you decided to compost with the enclosed compost bin you purchased from the county? [RECORD RESPONSE VERBATIM] Q11. Before getting your county compost bin, were you composting [READ LIST, RECORD ALL THAT APPLY] Yard waste Food waste [DO NOT READ] Did not compost Q8. Now thinking about how you use your county compost bin, do you compost yard waste in the bin? Yes [CONTINUE] No [SKIP TO Q9] Home Composter Study 15 November 2002

17 N8a. Approximately what percent of your yard wastes that can be composted do you put into your compost bin? Would you say? [READ LIST] 25% or less 26% to 50% 51% to 75%, or 76% to 100% [DO NOT READ] Don t know Q9. Do you compost food waste in the bin? Yes [CONTINUE] No [SKIP TO N1] Q10. Approximately what percent of your food wastes that can be composted do you put into your compost bin? Would you say? [READ LIST] 25% or less 26% to 50% 51% to 75%, or 76% to 100% [DO NOT READ] Don t know N1. For how long have you been using the compost bin purchased from the county? [READ LIST] Less than 6 months Six months to a year One to two years Three to four years Over four years [DO NOT READ] Don t know Q19a. How likely are you to use your compost bin throughout the coming winter months of December through March? Use a 7-point scale where 1 means Not at all likely and 7 means Very likely. 7 Very likely [SKIP TO N2.] 6 [SKIP TO N2.] 5 [SKIP TO N2.] 4 [SKIP TO N2.] 3 [CONTINUE] 2 [CONTINUE] 1 Not at all likely [CONTINUE] 11 Refused [SKIP TO N2.] 12 Don t know [SKIP TO N2] Q19b. Why do you say you are unlikely to continue using your bin during the winter months? [PROBE, RECORD RESPONSE VERBATIM] Home Composter Study 16 November 2002

18 N2. How often did you add waste to your bin this past summer? Would you say normally [READ LIST] One or more times a week Every other week Once a month, or Less than once a month [DO NOT READ] Don t know N15. On average, how many ice cream buckets of food waste do you think you compost per week during summer months? [RECORD NUMBER] r = don t know N16. Would you be interested in purchasing an interactive CD-ROM on back yard composting? Yes No Don t know [IF Q19a. EQUALS 1 or 12 SKIP TO Q7a.] N3. And how often do you think you will add waste to the bin during the coming winter months? Would you say [READ LIST] One or more times a week Every other week Once a month, or Less than once a month [DO NOT READ] Don t know Q7a. Using a 7-point scale where 7 means it has Exceeded your expectations and 1 means it has Not at all met your expectations, overall, how well has the Home Compost bin met your expectations?. 7 Exceeded expectations Not at all met expectations 11 Refused 12 Don t know Q18. For my next series of questions, I d like you to assume you are just now considering whether to obtain a compost bin from the county. Assume the home compost bin retails for $50. The county currently subsidizes the cost of bins making them available to county residents at $20 each. Using a 7-point scale where 7 means Very willing and 1 means Not at all willing, how willing are you to pay [INSERT PRICE OPTION] to make the bins more widely available to county households? Would you say you are a. Four-fifths of this retail price, a sum of $40 b. Three-quarters of this retail price, a sum of approximately $34 c. One half of the retail price, a sum of $25 7 Very willing 6 5 Home Composter Study 17 November 2002

19 Not at all willing 11 Refused 12 Don t know N4. Using a 7-point scale where 7 means you are Very interested and 1 means you are Not at all interested, how interested would you be in the option to order a compost bin on-line using a credit card at a County website and have your purchase directly shipped to your home or another location of your choice? 7 Very interested [CONTINUE] 6 [CONTINUE] 5 [CONTINUE] 4 [CONTINUE] 3 [SKIP TO N7] 2 [SKIP TO N7] 1 Not at all interested [SKIP TO N7] 11 Refused [CONTINUE] 12 Don t know [CONTINUE] N6. For this on-line ordering and delivery service, would you expect to pay a shipping and handling charge of [READ LIST] 16 to 20 dollars 11 to 15 dollars 6 to 10 dollars, or Would you not be willing to pay for the convenience [DO NOT READ] Don t know N7. If compost bins were available at events in the metro area, how far would you be willing to drive to an event where you could purchase the bin directly? Would you drive [READ LIST] Over 15 miles 11 to 15 miles 5 to 10 miles, or Under 5 miles [DO NOT READ] Not willing [DO NOT READ] Don t know Q24. Now I m going to read some questions for classification purposes only. Including yourself, how many people live in your household? This does not include students living at school. [RECORD NUMBER] Refused N8. Does the work of any household member directly involve any environmental or conservation activities? Yes No Home Composter Study 18 November 2002

20 N9. Does your household routinely engage in any of the following activities? [READ LIST, RECORD ALL THAT APPLY] Recycling items for curbside pickup Reading labels to identify whether a product is made from recycled material Leaving grass clippings on the lawn Organic gardening Minimizing use of lawn chemicals and insecticides Using rechargeable batteries Using citizen drop off centers for household hazardous waste N10. Do you have access to the Internet at work? Yes No N11. Do you have access to the Internet at home or someplace else other than work? Yes No N12. Would you be interested in being part of a select group to receive updates on other environmental programs and information? Yes No Q25. In which of the following categories does your age fall into? Please stop me when I get to the right range. 18 to to to to to or more [DO NOT READ] Refused N13. What was the last grade of school you completed? Was it [READ LIST] Grade school or less Some high school High school graduate Some college or technical school Technical school graduate College graduate, or Post graduate [DO NOT READ] Refused Home Composter Study 19 November 2002

21 N14. For statistical purposes only, was your 2001 total household income before taxes under $50,000 or $50,000 or more? Under $50,000 [ASK N14a] $50,000 or more [ASK N14b] Refused Which of the following category comes closest to your actual income? a. [READ LIST] b. [READ LIST] Was it under $10,000 Was it under $60,000 $10,000 to $19,999 $60,000 to $69,999 $20,000 to $29,999 $70,000 to $79,999 $30,000 to $39,999 $80,000 to $89,999 $40,000 or more $90,000 to $99,999 [DO NOT READ] Refused $100,000 to $199,000 $200,000 or more [DO NOT READ] Refused Q26. Just in case my supervisor needs to verify my work, can you please tell me your first name? Q27. Record gender. Female Male Home Composter Study 20 November 2002