Households and the Environment Survey

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Canadian households have responded to a number of environmental concerns, but still engage in many practices that can have a negative impact on the environment, according to new data from the Households and the Environment Survey.

The survey found that close to 6 in 10 households now use compact fluorescent bulbs, and over 4 in 10 have a programmable thermostat, up considerably in recent years. More households composted, and more also had water-saving showerheads and toilets.

Other aspects of household behaviour have not changed greatly since the survey was last conducted during the mid-1990s.

For example, the use of chemical pesticides in 2006 was down only slightly from 1994 levels. The sole exception was Quebec, where the share of households applying lawn and garden pesticides plunged by one-half over this period. Household pesticide application was highest in the three Prairie Provinces.

Another finding was that the majority of Canadians commuted to work alone in a private car or truck.

The survey also examined behaviours with respect to drinking water. Almost 3 out of every 10 households drank bottled water predominantly in 2006, whether they had a municipal or private water supply.

The rest consumed water from the tap, but half of the households that did so treated the tap water in some way. While the majority treated their water to improve the taste or appearance, 40% did so to address concerns about possible bacterial contamination.

The survey also found that rates of household recycling have jumped. Data from this portion of the survey will be analyzed in a report to be released on Friday, July 13, 2007, in the inaugural issue of EnviroStats, Statistics Canada's new source of analysis on environmental issues.

Almost 3 in 10 households choose bottled water

Households with municipal water supply in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador were the least likely to drink tap water and were the most likely to drink bottled water.

Among Canada's largest cities, the highest rate of households drinking bottled water primarily was found in the Kitchener area (46%) and in St. Catharines–Niagara (41%).

The survey found that only 35% of households with a non-municipal water supply had their water tested by a laboratory in 2005. This suggests a reasonably high level of confidence in the quality of water, or a prior knowledge of its limitations for drinking.

Among the households with a non-municipal water supply, 85% of those who tested their water reported that the laboratory did not find any contaminants.

Households in Ontario were the least likely to report water quality problems after testing. Those in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were the most likely to have problems.

Regardless of any tests, many households opted to treat their water supply. The survey found that 48% of all households that had a municipal water supply, and that consumed tap water, treated it in some way. This was a slightly higher proportion than those who had a non-municipal source.

Aside from drinking water issues, another important theme in the survey was water conservation. The survey found a big increase in the number of households with water-saving devices.

In 2006, 54% of Canadian households had a water-saving showerhead, compared with 42% in 1994. About 34% had a water-saving toilet, more than double the proportion of 15% in 1994.

Energy use: Turning down the power

Households are taking advantage of new power-saving devices, the survey showed. Between 1994 and 2006, the proportion using at least one compact fluorescent light bulb almost tripled from 19% to 56%.

Households in all provinces contributed to this rise. In 2006, British Columbia and Ontario had the highest percentage of households using compact fluorescent light bulbs, 60% or over in each province. In contrast, less than one-half of all households in Quebec and Manitoba used them.

Programmable thermostats, which automatically adjust the temperature setting, have become increasingly popular. In 1994, 16% of households with a thermostat had one that was programmable. By 2006, this proportion had more than doubled to 40%. On the other hand, among households that had such a device, about 17% had not programmed it.

In Ontario, 50% of households had a programmable thermostat, more than double the proportion of 24% in 1994. Households in the Atlantic Provinces were the least likely to have one.

Pesticides: Slight decline in use nationally, but big drop in Quebec

Nationwide, the proportion of households using pesticides on their lawn or garden dipped slightly from 31% in 1994 to 29% in 2006. However, in Quebec, where strict regulations on pesticide use were imposed in recent years, the proportion plunged from 30% to 15%.

Pesticide use was highest in the three Prairie Provinces and lowest in the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec.

In Manitoba, 44% of households used pesticides, the highest proportion in the nation, followed closely by Saskatchewan (43%). In the East, the proportion ranged from 14% in Prince Edward Island to 21% in Newfoundland and Labrador.

While the use of pesticides by households in the West was relatively high, households tended to apply them only as needed. However, those in Ontario and Quebec more often applied them as part of a regular maintenance program.

Composting and special wastes

Composting has grown in popularity. The survey found that 27% of households composted in 2006, up from 23% in 1994.

The increase was especially large in the Atlantic Provinces, some of which prohibit the disposal of organic materials in landfills or incinerators. The only province in which household participation in composting declined was British Columbia.

Some household wastes require special disposal procedures. About 29% of households had leftover paint to dispose of. Just over one-half (54%) of these households reported that they took it to a depot or returned it to the supplier.

Still, 38% replied that although they had leftover paint to dispose of, they still had it in their possession, and did not know what to do with it.

About one-quarter (24%) of households had unwanted or expired medications to dispose of. In all, 4 in 10 of these disposed of them in their regular garbage, flushed them down the toilet or put them down the drain. Just under one-third (31%) said they returned the products to suppliers.

Electronic waste, such as old computers, is a growing environmental problem. Almost one-quarter of households with old computers or other electronics disposed of them at special waste depots or returned them to the supplier. On the other hand, almost 1 in 5 put them in the garbage, and just over one-third said they did not know what to do with them.

Transportation: Most travelled to work alone in a motor vehicle

The transportation sector accounts for about 24% of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 54% of these emissions are due to passenger transportation, according to federal government figures.

In 2006, 83% of Canadian households had at least one motor vehicle, according to the survey. Just over 1 in 10 had three or more vehicles.

The majority (58%) of households in Canada travelled 20,000 kilometres or less in their motor vehicles in an average year, whereas 12% travelled more than 40,000 kilometres.

In Ontario and Alberta, 14% of households travelled more than 40,000 kilometres in a year. In Oshawa and Hamilton, the proportion exceeded 18%.

The survey asked respondents about their daily commuting habits. Nationally, in the warmer months of the year, 57% of all people who worked outside of the home usually travelled to work alone in a motor vehicle. In the colder months, this proportion increased to 64%.

Among Canada's urban centres in the summer time, Saskatoon, Abbotsford and Windsor had the highest proportion of people travelling alone in a motor vehicle to work. Victoria and Ottawa–Gatineau had the lowest proportion.

The size of a community has a big impact on commuting patterns. In the largest cities, relatively fewer people travelled to work in 2006 by motor vehicle (alone or with a passenger), while more used public transportation.

Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Ottawa–Gatineau all had a relatively low incidence of motor vehicle commuting compared with smaller urban centres. Yet, a motor vehicle was still the dominant form of commuting in these large cities.

However, while the rate of motor vehicle commuting was lower in Canada's major urban centres, when people did use their motor vehicle they tended to travel further. In both Toronto and Ottawa–Gatineau, nearly one-third of those travelling to work by motor vehicle travelled over 20 kilometres each way.

People who used public transit took longer, on average, to get to work than people who used private motor vehicles. Nationally, almost two-thirds of public transit users needed 30 minutes or more to get to work, while only one-quarter of those using motor vehicles took this long.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3881.

The report, The Households and the Environment Survey, 2006 (11-526-XIE, free), is now available online. From the Publications module of our website, under Free internet publications, choose Environment.

Also available today are selected revised tables from the November 15, 2006, release. These tables can be found in the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators socio-economic information, revised (16-253-XWE, free), available from the Publications module of our website.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods, or data quality of this release, contact the information officer (613-951-0297; fax: 613-951-0634; environ@statcan.gc.ca), Environment Accounts and Statistics Division.