Public Perceptions, Attitudes and

A National Survey
Values on the Environment
Environmental Protection Agency

AGENCY STATUS ■ drafting a National Allocation Plan for greenhouse

gas emissions allowance trading; the establishment
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independent public body established in July 1993 of trading permits and allowances to those covered
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of the EPA include the following: ■ taking action in relation to illegal dumping,

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programme;
Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on
the Environment - A National Survey

Strategic Policy Research Unit

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

An Ghníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú Comhsaoil
PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland

Telephone: +353 53 916 0600 Fax: +353 53 916 0699

Email: info@epa.ie Website: www.epa.ie

Lo Call 1890 33 55 99
 © Environmental Protection Agency 2006

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this
publication, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Neither the Environmental Protection
Agency nor the author accepts any responsibility whatsoever for loss or damage occasioned,
or claimed to have been occasioned, in part or in full as a consequence of any person acting or
refraining from acting, as a result of a matter contained in this publication. All or part of this
publication may be reproduced without further permission, provided the source is acknowledged.

Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on

the Environment - A National Survey

Published by the Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland

ISBN: 1-84095-187-7 04/06/300

Price: €10
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 3

Contents

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Research Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 4
Key Findings ............................................................................................................................................... 5

2. Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 6

3. General Environmental Awareness .............................................................................................. 7

Hazardous Waste ...................................................................................................................................... 8

4. Householders’ Waste Management Practices ........................................................................ 9

Household Waste Management Activities .................................................................................... 9
Summary.....................................................................................................................................................11

5. Drinking Water - Householders’ Perspective .......................................................................13

Drinking Water Customers .................................................................................................................13
Quality of Service...................................................................................................................................14
The Water that Households drink...................................................................................................15
Drinking Water Monitoring ................................................................................................................17
Summary.....................................................................................................................................................17

6. Water Quality in Recreational Water Bodies .......................................................................18

Amenity Use of Water Bodies ..........................................................................................................18
Public’s Rating of Water Quality at Local Sites .......................................................................18
Summary.....................................................................................................................................................19

7. The Value of a clean Environment .............................................................................................20

Methodology.............................................................................................................................................20
Environmental Protection Services................................................................................................20
Level of Concern - Illegal Waste Activity ...................................................................................21
Demand for Greater Environmental Enforcement ...................................................................22
Who Should Pay? ....................................................................................................................................22
The Value of a Clean Environment .................................................................................................23
Summary.....................................................................................................................................................24
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 4

1. Introduction

This work was commissioned by the EPA to investigate a range of environmental matters in
relation to the household sector. Both new information on household waste management
practices and information on householders’ experiences with environment-related services were
collected for the purpose of improving our understanding of householders experiences and
attitudes and also to better inform public policy.

The purpose of this survey research project included

n To collect information on public attitudes to the environment

n To value aspects of environmental protection

n To provide information on experiences with drinking water

n To provide information on household waste management practices

The research focuses on providing new information across a range of environmental issues
related to EPA work. The research focused on the household sector and provides a better
understanding of the household sector’s practices and attitudes to environment related issues,
information that can inform the development of environmental policy.

Research Methodology
The research project was undertaken with the assistance of a consultant survey research
company, Milliard Brown IMS, to help in the preparation of the questionnaire and administer
the survey. Data analysis and reporting were undertaken within the EPA.

The research strategy was to address a range of topics (e.g. littering, attitudes, waste management
practices, drinking water, etc) but given the budget constraints and surveying guidelines it was
not feasible to undertake in-depth research on each of the topics addressed. Accordingly, while
the analysis provides new insights it also raises many unresolved questions.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 5

Key Findings
n Almost half of Irish adults consider waste management the most important environmental
issue facing Ireland today.

n One-in-ten adults admitted to burning their household waste, while 15% believe backyard
burning of household waste is acceptable.

n 1% of adults admitted to illegally dumping their household waste.

n Many householders are dissatisfied with the quality of their drinking water supply
encountering problems with taste, odour, discolouration, and contamination, often on a
continuous basis.

n Only half of households drink tap water without any further filtration/purification system.
One fifth of households rely on bottled water within their homes.

n Just 5% of adults rely on either the EPA or local authorities for information on the quality
of surface waters. The majority of people primarily assess surface water quality by visual
inspection.

n The adult population strongly favours increasing the level of environmental protection
through recruitment of additional enforcement staff, viewing additional expenditures on
enforcement in the range €235-320 million worthwhile and value for money.

The remainder of this report provides more detailed information on these key findings plus
information on a range of other issues examined in the survey.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 6

2. Methodology

The relevant information was collected by a survey of the adult population, which was
conducted in May-June 2005. Professional survey/market research company Milliard Brown IMS
administered the survey on behalf of the EPA. Milliard Brown IMS also contributed to the
questionnaire design and conducted two short pilot surveys to assist in the development of the
finalised questionnaire.

Survey interviews were conducted by telephone. Milliard Brown IMS undertook the sampling
for the survey and used a random digit dialling procedure and a survey quota system on key
characteristics (region, gender, age and social class) to ensure a representative sample of the
adult population was surveyed. In total 1,500 adults were interviewed from an initial effective
total sample of almost 5,500 telephone numbers giving a response rate of just over 27%. All
age and gender categories are well represented in the interviewed sample though females and
older age cohorts are slightly overrepresented compared to the census statistics.

Table 2.1: Survey Statistics

No. %

Effective Total Sample 5,495 100%

Refusal on Principal 1,978 36%

Refusal - Busy, etc 1,818 33%

Terminated interview 50 9%

Barriers to conducting interview (e.g. age, language) 149 2.7%

Successful 1,500 27.3%

Table 2.2: Adults Surveyed in comparison to actual adult population

Age (Years) Survey Sample (%) Census 2002 (%)

18-24 10 18.0

25-64 73 67.1

65+ 17 14.8

Total 100 100

Gender

Male 42 49.1

Female 58 50.9
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 7

3. General Environmental Awareness

To gauge the level of public concern for the different environmental problems that we face today
respondents were initially asked what they believed was the most important environmental issue
facing Ireland today. The responses are represented in the figure below. What is most striking
is that the majority of adults, 56%, consider that waste management is the most important
environmental issue facing Ireland today. This high level of concern obviously reflects the
public's concern from the surge in illegal dumping in recent years, the rising cost of household
waste collection, and difficulties with planning for waste management infrastructure. Other
pressing environment problems, such as those relating to water and air pollution, do not
generate nearly the same level of public concern.

Figure 3.1: The most important environmental issued facing Ireland today

Planning &
Green Spaces

Waste 1% Agriculture
Management
9%
Water Pollution
Issues 6%
1% Roads
56% 4% Cars/Traffic
Waste, Litter
Recycling
Illegal Dumping
3% Sellafield
Landfills
Incineration 2% Factory
Bin Charges 6% Emissions
Global
4% Warming
8%
Air Quality

Other
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 8

Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste poses a major problem for waste management. Many of the most hazardous
wastes are concentrated at a few sources, which facilitate regulatory management and control.
However, hazardous waste contained within the household waste stream poses special logistical
problems for waste management. The survey was used to gauge the household sector's ability
to identify potentially hazardous wastes within the household and the results indicate that
people are generally very good at identifying wastes that potentially involve special disposal
procedures, or may in fact be hazardous waste.

Table 3.1: Proportion that deem certain household products as hazardous on disposal

Car batteries .......................................................................................................................................................... 98

Appliance batteries ............................................................................................................................................ 89
Varnish ..................................................................................................................................................................... 86
Water based emulsion paint .......................................................................................................................... 47
Cooking oil ............................................................................................................................................................. 63
Bleach ...................................................................................................................................................................... 86
Motor oil from cars ............................................................................................................................................ 96
Weed killer & pesticides .................................................................................................................................. 96
Prescription medicines ..................................................................................................................................... 88
Fridges ...................................................................................................................................................................... 93

The survey asked whether respondents deemed the waste from common household items to be
hazardous. Items such as water based emulsion paint is not hazardous and therefore does not
require special disposal, however, many of the items listed above are either hazardous or merit
careful management at disposal, e.g. fridges. It is reassuring that the public is quite proficient
at identifying items that require special management at disposal.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 9

4. Householders’ Waste Management Practices

The most comprehensive statistics on household waste management come from the EPA’s National
Waste Reports. The latest statistics for 2004 show that the public generates 430kg of household
waste per person, which is unsustainably high. The report also shows that households have
been continually improving their recycling performance. Household waste stream recycling
stood at 4.3% in 1995, had risen to 5.6% by 2001, and stood at 19.5% in 2004. What the
National Waste Database does not report is the proportion of households that engage in good
and bad waste management activities; this chapter sheds some light on this.

Household Waste Management Activities

Though the survey elicited information on interviewees’ personal waste management activities,
because of the collective nature of household waste management activity, the responses reflect
the entire household’s behaviour.

Recycling:
The survey found that most adults (96%) now recycle, though it does not tell how much people
recycle. However, the fact that nearly all adults undertake some recycling is an important base
upon which to further increase total national household waste recycling rate of 19.5%.

Composting:
Over half of adults say they compost either food or gardening waste. In many cases the
composting only involves garden waste (e.g. grass and hedge clippings); for others it will
include municipal waste composting via ‘brown’ waste collection. These issues aside, that half
of all adults engage in some type of composting activity is a good base upon which to increase
the level of home composting.

Illegal Waste Activities:

Households’ behaviour with respect to illegal waste activities is less than satisfactory. Survey
interviewees were asked whether they engaged in various illegal activities, such as burning
household waste, with the responses interpreted as underestimates of the full extent of the
illegal activity because the statistics represent only people that actually admit engaging in
the illegal activity.

Prior to reporting statistics it is important to put the figures in context. Nationally, 23% of
households are not served by a waste collection service and it is estimated that ‘uncollected’
household waste totals some 227,000 tonnes. Not all of these households can be assumed
to dispose of their waste in an unauthorised manner, as some households without service
personally transport waste to landfills.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 10

Burning Household Waste:

Backyard burning possibly accounts for the greatest proportion of illegal disposal of household
waste. The EPA survey found that 1-in-10 adults admitted to burning household waste though
the actual figure is likely to be higher. Most adults (80%) are aware that backyard burning
has environmental and health risks, with half specifically aware that backyard burning is
the greatest source of dioxins in Ireland. Twenty-seven local authorities have indicated that
backyard burning is a significant problem in their functional area.

Backyard burning is a greater problem in less densely populated areas with 15% of rural dwellers
and 11% of village dwellers burning their household rubbish. The problem also exits in urban areas
though to a much lesser extent with approximately 1-in-25 burning their household rubbish.

Two issues that are especially worrying in the context of backyard burning is that 15% of
adults believe backyard burning is an acceptable method of waste disposal; and half of those
that admitted to burning did so in the knowledge of the public health implications due to the
associated release of dioxins. Therefore, while the greater majority accept that backyard burning
is both unacceptable and unsafe, a significant minority still persist in the activity. Public
education and awareness campaigns are unlikely to be sufficient to improve circumstances
considerably.

Figure 4.1: Backyard burning by dwelling location

20

16

15%
12

8 11%
7%
4

4% 4%
0
City Surburbia Town Village Rural
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 11

Illegal dumping/fly tipping:

Like backyard burning, fly tipping is a serious problem. The survey found that 1% of adults
admitted to dumping household waste. As dumping is considered less socially acceptable than
burning it is likely that 1% significantly underestimates the actual number of people engaging
in this activity. Casual observance would also suggest that fly tipping is a major problem.

Illegal use of street bins:

The dramatic increase in waste collection charges in recent years has been one of the
contributory factors for the increase in illegal waste disposal activities that exist at present.
Disposal of household waste in public waste paper bins is one consequence that, while not
conspicuous, appears now to be relatively common occurrence. About 5% of adults admit to
disposing household waste in business skips or public litter bins.

Hazardous Liquids Disposal:

Another inconspicuous illegal waste activity is the disposal of waste household liquids, such as
oils, paints, or chemicals into sewers and rainwater drains. About 2% of adults admitted to such
activity. The disposal of waste liquids of this nature, some of which are potentially hazardous,
can cause damage to water courses and also impact on the efficient operation of wastewater
treatment facilities.

Summary
As a nation we have made dramatic improvements in environmentally conscious household
waste disposal. Recycling has increased from very low levels to a current situation where 19.5%
of household waste is recycled and 96% of adults claim to undertake some recycling activities.
Home composting has also increased considerably in recent years.

However, on the negative side the level of household waste generation is high and unsustainable.
At present almost 430kg of household waste is generated per person with just 19.5% recycled.
The rest is either landfilled or disposed of illegally. A substantial minority of people admit to
illegally disposing their waste and it is unlikely that awareness campaigns will dissuade all of
them from such activities, especially when we know that many of the people burning household
waste are aware of the harmful environmental and health consequences.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 12

Table 4.1: Proportion of adults engaging in various waste management practices

Activity % of adults*

Compost food/garden waste 54

Purchase more environment sensitive products 65
Recycle 96
Dispose Household Waste in skips and public bins 5
Dump waste illegally 1
Dispose Hazardous waste in drains/sewers 2
Burn household rubbish 9

Table 4.2: Attitudes to Backyard Burning

% of adults

Backyard burning acceptable 15

Table 4.3: Perceived Dangers associated with Backyard Burning

% of adults*

Fire risk 47
Human health risk - breathing etc 57
Environment health risk - incl. Dioxins 82
Upset neighbours 2

* Percentages sum to greater than 100 as respondents indicated multiple reasons.

 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 13

5. Drinking Water - Householders’ Perspective

An estimated 1,700,000 m3 of drinking water is produced per day by public and group water
schemes. The supply of such a large volume of drinking water compliant with the drinking water
standards is a major challenge.

While the EPA report on drinking water quality for 2003 concluded that the quality of drinking
water in Ireland is generally satisfactory with an overall compliance with standards of 96.1%,
the EPA’s survey finds that customer satisfaction levels are not so high.

Drinking Water Customers

The distribution of adults by drinking water source (e.g. public, group, private well) interviewed
in the EPA survey broadly matches the actual distribution of drinking water supplies, which
enables us to use the survey results as an indication of drinking water customer satisfaction.
The EPA survey results conveys customer experience and satisfaction with drinking water
supplies whereas EPA reports on drinking water quality relate to compliance with drinking water
standards and not customer satisfaction.

Figure 5.1: Source of Drinking Water Supply

100 Not known

90 Private Well

80
Group Water
70 Scheme

60

50

40

30 Local Authority
Supply
20

10

0
EPA’s Drinking Survey
Water Report 2003
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 14

Quality of Service
In the survey people were asked whether they had experienced problems with their drinking
water supplies in the prior twelve months. Customer satisfaction varied substantially across
supply sources, with the people using private wells being the most satisfied.

Public water supplies encountered significant problems with discolouration and sediment, with 30%
(40% for group schemes) claiming that they experience discoloured drinking water supplies. Roughly
15% of households with discoloured drinking water experienced the problem on a continuous basis.
Discolouration and sediment were also the most problematic issues for private well sources.

Problems with taste and odour are also common problems for households with public or group
scheme supplies. Approximately 20% of households experienced a bad odour and 30% a bad taste
from their public or group water supply in the previous 12 months. Almost half of households
with poor tasting drinking water experienced the problem on a continuous basis.

Approximately 8% of households claimed to have had bacterial contamination of their drinking

water in the prior 12 months. The 8% refers to households rather than water supplies with
roughly one quarter of these (i.e. 2%) said that the contamination was continuous.

Most of the problems encountered by households with their drinking water supplies are
manageable. However, a significant minority of customers appear to receive a poor quality
service on a continuous basis. One quarter of all households claim to have experienced bad
tasting drinking water in the previous 12 months, with roughly half of these experiencing
the problem on an on-going basis. Others experienced problems with discolouration, poor
mains pressure, sediment and bacterial contamination on an on-going basis. While occasional
problems are to be expected poor service on regular basis is not satisfactory.

Table 5.1: Proportion of adults experiencing drinking water problems in previous

12 months, by water source (%)

Source

Problem Private Well Group Water Local All Supplies

Scheme Authority

Low Mains 8 35 33 29

Discolouration 16 40 30 29

Odour 6 20 18 16

Sediment 13 24 20 19

Hard 40 39 33 34

Bacteria 5 16 7 8

Taste 9 32 28 26
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 15

Table 5.2: Frequency of water problem arising during past 12 months, all supplies

% Frequency

Problem Only Isolated Incidents Arose Continuous

Incidents Intermittently Problem
or Occasionally

Low Mains 24 44 32

Discolouration 35 48 15

Odour 21 50 27

Sediment 27 40 32

Hard Water 7 12 79

Bacteria 36 31 23

Taste 15 37 46

The Water that Households Drink

Twenty-five years ago bottled water was relatively uncommon in Ireland whereas in 2003 the
bottled water market stood at 119 million litres with prospects for continued strong growth.
Some of this bottled water is consumed in the home even though there is a free alternative
available: tap water. The survey was used to establish the extent to which bottled water is
consumed in the home and understand why tap water is avoided.

The survey results indicate that roughly half of adults drink tap water, almost 30% use filter and
purification systems on their tap water, while 20% drink bottled water in their homes.

The most common reason why tap water is avoided is because of its taste. A further third
of adults do so for precautionary reasons, whereas 16% suspect that the water is actually
contaminated.

Households’ dissatisfaction with drinking water supplies is reflected in the fact that they make
very large expenditures to avoid drinking unfiltered tap water. The survey found that on average
such households spend €182 per annum on filtration systems or bottled water. When aggregated
to reflect the number of households nationwide that spend money on providing drinking water
other than tap water in the home, the total national expenditure is estimated at €76 million
per annum.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 16

Figure 5.2: Source of drinking water consumed within households

Jug
Filter
18%
Bottled Tap
Water
52%
20%

10%
Filter /
Purification
System

Figure 5.3: Reasons given for not drinking tap water*

Taste 37%

Precaution 34%

Suspicion 7%

Hardness 7%

Smell 7%

Sediment 7%

Bacteria 4%

Chlorine / Flouride 1%

Discolouration 1%

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

* Percentages sum to greater than 100 as respondents indicated multiple reasons.

 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 17

Drinking Water Monitoring

One possible reason for the high level of distrust or suspicion of drinking water quality is a
lack of awareness by the public of the extensive drinking water quality monitoring programmes.
Nationwide, only 17% of adults were aware that their drinking water supply was monitored
in the previous 12 months and of those only half were aware of the results of the monitoring
analysis. An increased level of awareness of on-going water quality monitoring may help dispel
the high level of distrust of drinking water supplies, however, quality monitoring does not
specifically cover taste or odour.

Table 5.3: Awareness of drinking water quality monitoring by region

Region Awareness of Knowledge of

monitoring(%) monitoring results(%)

Border 23 7

Midland 14 11

West 32 17

Mid-East 16 9

Dublin 6 2

Mid-West 28 16

South-East 25 13

South-West 15 10

All Regions 17 9

Summary
In 2003 most drinking water supplies in Ireland were considered satisfactory and compliant
with the drinking water quality standards. However, a significant minority of householders are
unhappy with their drinking water supplies. As a result of normal maintenance of drinking water
supply systems one might expect occasional disruptions to drinking water supplies, resulting
in low mains pressure, or temporary discolouration of supplies, etc. However, the survey results
indicated that for a substantial number of people problems of this nature occur on a regular
basis, which is less than satisfactory. In general there is a relatively high level of distrust of
drinking water supplies, which results in many households using their own resources to provide
alternative water supplies.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 18

6. Water Quality in Recreational Water Bodies

The EPA and Local Authorities undertake an extensive monitoring programme of water quality
in inland rivers and lakes. The assessment for 2001-2003 was that water quality in our rivers is
considered to be generally of satisfactory quality with 69% having an unpolluted status and just
0.6% in a seriously polluted state, whereas 82% of lakes are considered to be of satisfactory
water quality. Monitoring of bathing waters, estuaries, and coastal waters is also undertaken.

This EPA survey establishes the level of public awareness of water quality monitoring programmes
and also the extent to which recreational water users avail of information on water quality.

Amenity Use of Water Bodies

Survey research undertaken by the Marine Institute reported that almost 1.5 million persons
aged 16 years and above engaged in some type of water based leisure activity in the year 2003
representing 49% of the population aged 16 years and above. The EPA’s survey focused on a
wider group; that of adults aged 18 years and above who were either recreational water users
or were knowledgeable about water bodies in their locality. Some 80% of adults fall into this
category.

Public’s Rating of Water Quality at Local Sites

Survey respondents were asked to rate the water quality at locations they were familiar with and
subsequently were asked on what information they based their assessments. This information
provides a crude indication of the public’s perception of water quality and the extent to which
the public relies on scientific assessments to inform their views.

Respondents were asked to rank water quality based on a four-point scale from very good
quality with no pollution to very poor quality with serious pollution. Responses are tabulated
below. A majority of adults (67%) believe that waters were at worst only slightly polluted,
though there is no benchmark from which to compare the public’s perception and actual water
quality status.

The survey finding of most concern is that the primary information source for the public’s
assessments of water quality may often be inaccurate. The majority of people rely on their
own visual inspections to assess water quality status. If people are to rely solely on visual
inspections they will often draw inaccurate conclusions mistaking turbid water for pollution
and assuming clear water is unpolluted. Just 5% relied directly on EPA or local authority
information, whereas 11% relied on local media reports that are most likely based on official
monitoring reports.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 19

Summary
A large proportion of the population utilise water bodies for recreational purposes. From a
public health and safety perspective it is important that such users are aware of water quality
status. The survey suggests that people rely to a very large extent on visual inspections to
assess water quality, which may in many instances be a poor indicator of quality. Whereas a
small minority rely on information provided by local authorities or the EPA, who actually assess
water quality.

Table 6.1: Survey Respondents’ Rating of Water Quality at best known/used sites

Personal Rating of Water Quality %

Very good quality with no pollution 28

Moderate quality with only slight pollution 39
Poor quality with moderate pollution 19
Very poor quality with serious pollution 11
Don’t Know 3
Total 100

Table 6.2: Source Information for Respondents’ Rating of Water Quality

Reason % of respondents *

Own Visual Inspection 73

Local Knowledge 22
Own Experience - from fishing/boating etc. 13
Blue Flag Status 13
Local Media Reporting 11
Information from the LA or EPA 5
Other 10

* Percentages sum to greater than 100 as respondents indicated multiple reasons.

 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 20

7. The Value of a Clean Environment

Everybody would like a clean environment. Such a preference shows that the environment has
worth or value, however large or small. This chapter looks at environmental protection, and
in particular assesses the general public’s opinion on a series of environmental enforcement
actions and the extent to which the public believes such enforcement is value for money.

Methodology
The analysis in the chapter is based on a survey of the general adult public, which asked
respondents a series of questions relating to litter, illegal dumping and remediation of illegal
dumpsites.

The questionnaire used a well-established survey methodology to elicit information on

preferences for environmental services, e.g. environment protection, and the extent to which
such services are value for money. The survey questionnaire outlined the full policy context
as well as the implications of respondent’s choices so that responses would provide a realistic
assessment of the public’s preferences for greater environmental enforcement and a cleaner
environment.

Whether related to the environment, public services (health, education, etc), or to private
goods, all must be paid for. In the context of a survey it is easy to say that you want more of a
good or service and that the government should provide it. This fact is reflected in the survey
when 90% of respondents said that they favoured the recruitment of additional litter wardens.
However, when informed that the recruitment would require additional public expenditure,
support for the proposal fell to 77%, and further fell to 67% when respondents were told that
extra taxes would be needed to fund the recruitment. As this shows, the survey questions were
designed to ensure that respondents understood the full context and implications for both
public expenditure and its impact on their private resources.

Environmental Protection Services

The survey examined three issues: increased litter law enforcement; increased enforcement
to prevent (large-scale) illegal dumping; and remediation of illegal dump sites. To avoid
overburdening respondents with too many questions and scenarios, respondents were
questioned about only two of the three issues, either litter and remediation, or illegal dumping
and remediation. The purpose of the survey analysis was to ascertain:
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 21

n the public’s awareness of the specific environmental problems

n whether the public is satisfied with current management of the problem

n the publics’ opinion on increased level of environmental protection

n the extent to which expenditure on increased environmental protection, through enforcement

or remediation, is considered worthwhile and value for money.

n the extent to which views on these three environmental protection proposals differ across
various segments of the population, thus providing a greater understanding of public
opinion.

Three scenarios, all related to illegal waste, were used to gain the broadest understanding of
the public’s attitudes to environmental protection measures. Under all three situations the
public benefits from increased environmental protection and improved environmental quality.
One scenario relates to prevention of small-scale environmental pollution - littering. The second
relates to prevention of large-scale environmental pollution - commercial-scale illegal dumping.
The third scenario relates to environmental pollution cleanup - remediation of illegal dumpsites.
The scenarios allow a range of opinions and attitudes related to illegal waste activity to be
examined.

Level of Concern - Illegal Waste Activity

The survey results show that the problem of illegal waste activity is not just a concern of small
group of affected interests but causes serious anxiety to the greater majority of the adult
population.

n 93% agree litter is a widespread problem

n 89% agree that illegal waste activity is major environmental problem

n 86% aware of environmental/health threats posed by illegal dumpsites

One could consider that litter and commercial scale illegal dumping are the two extremes of the
spectrum of illegal waste activities implying that 9-in-10 adults consider illegal waste activity
to be a major and widespread problem in Ireland today.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 22

Up until recently Ireland had a history of not managing its waste in an appropriate environmental
manner. The fact that 86% of adults are now aware that illegal dumpsites threaten both
environmental quality and public health means that there has been a large ground-shift in
attitudes to waste management in a very short period.

Demand for Greater Environmental Enforcement

At least 9-in-10 adults were in favour of greater environmental protection by means of
additional environmental protection staff. The level of support for additional enforcement staff
declined as respondents were informed that the additional staff would require higher public
sector spending, financed through additional taxation. An important result from the survey
is that over two-thirds of adults still favoured increased public expenditure for environmental
protection financed by additional taxation. This is a clear indication that the public would like
to see a greater level of environmental protection.

n 67% willing to pay some extra tax to fund additional litter wardens

n 73% willing to pay extra tax to fund additional environmental protection staff

The public’s concern for maintaining a clean environment is also reflected by the fact that two-
thirds of adults also indicated that they would voluntarily contribute to the cost of cleaning up
any illegal dumpsites in their county of residence. Though illegal dumpsite cleanup would not
normally be financed in such a manner the fact that people are willing to voluntarily contribute
to ensure such work is completed shows the high level of public concern.

n 65% willing to voluntarily contribute for illegal dumpsite cleanup

Who Should Pay?

The preceding paragraphs mentioned that a majority were willing to contribute to measures
for better environmental protection. There were many opposing views in the survey on how
best to fund better environmental enforcement but there was consensus around a few points in
particular. Approximately 10% of respondents believe that the government should bear the cost
of increased environmental protection measures, though there is no information on whether
such measures should be financed through greater efficiency in environmental budgets or from
other areas of government spending. In the case of illegal dumpsite cleanup approximately 6%
said that the government should pay from existing resources whereas some 15% of adults felt
that the polluting party should be made pay. As mentioned above, a significant majority are
willing to fund additional environmental protection measures through extra taxation.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 23

The Value of a Clean Environment

The survey examined the idea of the value of a clean environment by examining how worthwhile
or valuable the public considers greater levels of environmental enforcement or illegal dumpsite
remediation. If the public both favours greater environmental protection, and is willing to pay
(e.g. via increased taxes) for that greater level of environmental protection then we can directly
infer that the enforcement actions and the consequent benefits (i.e. cleaner environment) are
considered worthwhile and value for money.

When we examined the results from the two survey scenarios on littering and larger scale
illegal dumping we found that, while the public was concerned with both types of illegal waste
activity, large scale illegal dumping was of greater concern. In terms of the value of a clean
environment and value for money we found that on average people were willing to pay for
greater enforcement; €84 per person per year for litter enforcement and €114 for enforcement
of larger scale dumping activity. These figures represent how much a clean environment,
achieved through greater enforcement, is worth to the public.

How much a cleaner environment is worth to people obviously varies by personal circumstances.
For example, people in counties of Wicklow, Kildare, and Meath were willing to pay up to €70
more than elsewhere for greater enforcement to prevent illegal dumping, which in part reflects
the instances of illegal dumpsites in these counties. People with a university education were
willing to pay on average €90 more to ensure greater enforcement. In the case of litter law
enforcement, people that lived in rural areas or towns were willing to pay €25 per person more
compared to people living in the larger cities or suburbs. This may reflect the better street
cleaning services in urban areas. In general men were willing to pay €25-35 more for greater
enforcement than women. Income obviously is an important factor in whether people can afford
to pay for greater enforcement with people on incomes higher than €45,000 on average willing
to pay, on average, €50 more than others.

A very significant finding of the analysis was that the people who believed that their individual
actions could make a real difference to the environment were willing to pay €50-70 for increased
environmental enforcement. Overall in the survey some 83% of respondents believe that their
personal actions could make a real difference.

When these figures are summed across the adult population the aggregate willingness to pay is
between €235-319 million. What this estimate represents is how much a clean environment is
worth to the public. This estimate does not imply that the cost of additional enforcement staff
is €235-319 million. From a cost benefit analysis perspective the cost of increasing the level of
enforcement for waste management activities is likely to be significantly less that the benefits
derived from providing such a service.
 Public Perceptions, Attitudes and Values on the Environment A National Survey 24

Summary
The survey shows that the public is very aware of the issue of illegal waste activity in Ireland
today. A survey methodology asking the public what they would be willing to pay to fund
increased levels of environmental enforcement and therefore improve environmental quality
was used to infer whether additional public expenditure on environmental enforcement is
considered worthwhile and value for money. The analysis shows that the anticipated benefits
from a greater level of environmental protection are likely to be greater than the cost of
provision of additional enforcement.

Table 7.1: Survey Responses

Description Metric Litter Large Scale Illegal

Dumping Dump Site
Remediation
Agree issue is a widespread % adults 93% 89% 86%
problem
In favour of additional % adults 90% 77% NA
enforcement
Environmental Service Additional Add itional Illegal
discussed in the survey enforcement, enforcement dumpsite
litter wardens staff - illegal clean-up
dumping
In favour of increased public % adults 77% 82% NA
expenditure on enforcement
In favour of increased public % adults 67% 73% NA
expenditure incorporating
additional personal tax to
fund increased enforcement
Willing to make voluntary % adults NA NA 65%
contribution to dumpsite
clean up
Survey sample size No. 819 681 1500
Average willingness to pay € €84 €114 €117
per adult
Adult population willingness € million €235 €319 €210
to pay
An Ghníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú Comhshaoil

STÁDAS NA GNÍOMHAIREACHTA fhorfheidhmiú ó thaobh GMOanna a choinneáil agus

a scaoileadh amach sa chomhshaol in aon turas;
Is comhlacht poiblí neamhspleách í an Ghníomhaireacht ■ clár hidriméadrach náisiúnta a ullmhú agus a chur i
um Chaomhnú Comhshaoil (EPA) a bunaíodh i mí Iúil bhfeidhm;
1993 faoin Acht fán nGníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú
■ dréacht a chur le chéile de Phlean Leithroinnte
Comhshaoil, 1992. Ó thaobh an Rialtais, is í an Roinn
Náisiúnta do thrádáil liúntas astaithe gáis ceaptha
Comhshaoil agus Rialtais Áitiúil a dhéanann urraíocht
teasa; Údarás Inniúla Náisiúnta a bhunú le
uirthi.
ceadanna trádála agus liúntais a eisiúint orthu siúd
atá clúdaithe ag an scéim; monatóireacht, léargas,
Déanann Bord Feidhmeach lánaimseartha comhdhéanta
agus fíorú maidir le hastuithe ó chuideachtaí
d’Ard-Stiúrthóir agus ceathrar Stiúrthóirí bainistíocht
rannpháirteacha; agus Clár Trádála Astuithe
ar an EPA. Cinntítear neamhspleáchas trí nósanna
Náisiúnta a bhunú;
imeachta roghnaithe i gcás an Ard-Stiúrthóra agus na
Stiúrthóirí agus an tsaoirse, de réir mar a sholáthraítear
agus, faoin Oifig Forfheidhmiúcháin Comhshaoil, a
sa reachtaíocht, gníomhú as a stuaim féin. Tá an
bunaíodh i 2003 agus atá tiomanta as reachtaíocht
sannadh, faoin reachtaíocht, maidir le freagracht
comhshaoil a chur i bhfeidhm agus a fhorfheidhmiú in
dhíreach as réimse leathan feidhmeanna mar bhonn
Éirinn;
taca ag an neamhspleáchas sin. Faoin reachtaíocht,
is cion sainiúil é iarracht a dhéanamh tionchar a imirt
■ feabhas a chur ar chomhlíonadh reachtaíocht
ar an Ghníomhaireacht, nó ar aon duine a bhíonn ag
cosanta comhshaoil in Éirinn;
gníomhú thar ceann na Gníomhaireachta, ar bhealach
míchuí. ■ feasacht a ardú maidir leis an tábhacht a bhaineann
le forfheidhmiú i gcás reachtaíochta cosanta
Cuidíonn Coiste Comhairleach ar a bhfuil dhá chomhalta comhshaoil in Éirinn;
déag arna gceapadh ag an Aire Comhshaoil, Oidhreachta ■ ceadúnais IPPC agus ceadúnais Dramhaíola a
agus Rialtais Áitiúil leis an nGníomhaireacht. eisíonn an EPA a fhorfheidhmiú;
■ iniúchadh agus tuairisciú ar fheidhmíocht údarás
áitiúil maidir lena bhfeidhmeanna cosanta
FREAGRACHTAÍ comhshaoil a chur ar bun, lena n-áirítear:
■ forfheidhmiú maidir le ceadúnais dramhaíola a
Tá réimse leathan dualgas agus cumhachtaí reachtúla ag
sháraítear;
an EPA faoin Acht fán nGníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú
Comhshaoil. Chomh maith leis sin, tá curtha le ■ gníomh maidir le dumpáil mhídhleathach;
hacmhainn an EPA maidir le forfheidhmiú le cumhachtaí ■ ceadanna bailithe dramhaíola a chur i bhfeidhm,
san Acht um Chaomhnú an Chomhshaoil 2003. Áirítear agus
orthu seo a leanas príomhfhreagrachtaí an EPA: ■ tionscnaimh a bheidh mar fhreagracht ar an
táirgeoir a fhorfheidhmiú (mar shampla, sa
■ ceadúnú a dhéanamh ar phróisis thionsclaíocha
réimse a bhaineann le dramhaíl pacáiste);
mhóra/choimpléascacha a bhféadfadh cumas
truaillithe suntasach a bheith ag baint leo; ■ gníomh in aghaidh údarás áitiúil nach bhfuil
ag comhlíonadh a gcuid feidhmeanna cosanta
■ monatóireacht ar chaighdeán comhshaoil, lena
comhshaoil ar bhealach cuí;
n-áirítear bunachair shonraí a bhunú ar a mbeidh
rochtain ag an bpobal; ■ an dlí a chur nó cuidiú le húdaráis áitiúla an dlí a
chur ó thaobh sháraithe suntasacha reachtaíochta
■ tuarascálacha tréimhsiúla maidir le staid an
cosanta comhshaoil ar bhealach caoithiúil; agus
chomhshaoil a fhoilsiú;
■ cuidiú le húdaráis áitiúla a gcuid feidhmíocht
■ sárchleachtais comhshaoil a chur chun cinn;
cosanta comhshaoil a fheabhsú ar bhonn cás ar
■ taighde comhshaoil a chur chun cinn agus a chás, trí ghréasán forfheidhmithe a bhunú le
chomhordú; malartú eolais a chur chun cinn chomh maith le
■ gníomhaíochtaí diúscartha dramhaíola agus sárchleachtas, agus trí threoir chuí a sholáthar.
aisghabhála suntasacha, lena n-áirítear láithreacha
líonta talún a cheadúnú agus plean bainistíochta
guaisdramhaíola náisiúnta a ullmhú;
■ córas a chur i bhfeidhm a cheadaíonn rialú astaithe
VOC a bhíonn mar thoradh ar scaoileadh GMOanna
isteach sa chomhshaol in aon turas;

■ rialacháin GMO a chur i bhfeidhm agus a

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