Resource Futures Pesticides user habits survey 2010: public

Resource Futures
Pesticides user habits survey 2010: public
purchasing, use, storage and disposal of pesticides
Resource Futures
Pesticides user habits survey 2010: public
purchasing, use, storage and disposal of pesticides
Prepared for the Chemicals Regulation Directorate
Project no: PS2804
RF project No: 1291
September 2010
Resource Futures
Royal House, 28 Sovereign Street, Leeds, LS1 4BJ
0113 243 8777
0113 200 3977
www.resourcefutures.co.uk
Document details/quality control sheet
Report prepared for:
Karen Trott
Policy Development Team,
Chemicals Regulation Directorate,
Health and Safety Executive,
Room 214 Mallard House, Kings Pool,
3 Peasholme Green, York YO1 7PX
Tel.: 01904 455750
Fax: 01904 455763
Email: [email protected]
Report prepared by:
Kerrie Warburton
Resource Futures
Royal House,
28 Sovereign Street,
Leeds,
LS1 4BJ
Tel: 0113 200 3960
E-mail: [email protected]
Report checked by:
Emma Kerrigan
Senior Consultant
Signed:
File name: RF1291_Pesticides user habits survey 2010_AMENDS
Version: Final
Status: Confidential
Date: 1 September 2010
RF project 1291
Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 1
1.
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 2
2.
Background ................................................................................................................................................... 2
3.
3.1
3.2
Methods ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
Survey locations ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Survey implementation ................................................................................................................................. 3
4.
Summary of 2007 survey results .................................................................................................................. 3
5.
5.1
5.1.1
5.1.2
5.1.3
5.2
5.2.1
5.2.2
5.2.3
5.3
5.3.1
5.3.2
5.3.3
5.4
5.5
2010 survey results ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Respondent characteristics ........................................................................................................................... 5
Gardener type ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Home and allotment gardening ..................................................................................................................... 7
Age bracket ................................................................................................................................................... 7
Purchasing habits ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Types of product ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Quantities of products purchased ................................................................................................................. 9
Purchase locations ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Use of products ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Product instructions .................................................................................................................................... 11
Other sources of information....................................................................................................................... 14
Ready-to-use and concentrated products ................................................................................................... 16
Storage........................................................................................................................................................ 20
Disposal ...................................................................................................................................................... 22
6.
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
Cross-tabulation .......................................................................................................................................... 25
Location....................................................................................................................................................... 25
Age bracket ................................................................................................................................................. 32
Attitudes to gardening ................................................................................................................................. 36
Product disposal ......................................................................................................................................... 43
7.
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
Summary and discussion ............................................................................................................................ 45
Respondent profile ...................................................................................................................................... 45
Purchasing habits ....................................................................................................................................... 45
Product usage ............................................................................................................................................. 46
Storage........................................................................................................................................................ 46
Disposal ...................................................................................................................................................... 46
Comparison of significant findings .............................................................................................................. 47
Appendix 1: Questionnaire ...................................................................................................................................... 51
Appendix 2: Briefing sheet for User Habits Questionnaire ...................................................................................... 57
Executive Summary
A pesticides user habits survey was carried out in six different locations across the UK in May 2010. The
survey, a repeat of the same work carried out in 2007, was designed to determine gardener user habits in
relation to purchase, usage, storage and disposal of pesticides. Responses were received from gardeners in
all age categories and all gardener „types‟ as defined by this report, although the majority of the survey
respondents were keen and regular gardeners, and 80% were aged 45 and above.
The most popular products purchased by respondents UK-wide were weedkillers, slug pellets and lawn
treatments. There were some differences in purchasing habits across different locations, for example with
weedkillers being more popular in Glasgow, and slug pellets being less popular here. In general, respondents
purchased an average of one to two products per year, although again there were some differences across
the survey locations. „Less keen‟ gardeners tend to purchase more products on average per year than the
„keen and regular‟ gardeners, and 80% usually purchase their products in a garden centre.
In terms of product usage, 64% of respondents stated that they would usually read the instructions on the
product before purchasing it, and 92% of respondents said that they follow the product instructions. Websites
have increased in popularity as a source of further information since 2007; in particular Google and the RHS
website appear to be useful sources of information. More than half of all respondents stated that they only use
ready-to-use products, and would not purchase products that require dilution before usage. Of those that do
use concentrated products, 91% use some form of measuring device to dilute the product, and 20% would
store products after they have been mixed up. Older age groups were found to be slightly more likely to store
products than younger ones. After use, 68% rinse out empty containers, and 52% of respondents said that
they would pour the rinsings down the drain.
The most popular storage location according to the 2010 survey is the garden shed, followed by the garage.
Only 4% of all respondents specified some form of safety precaution for storing pesticides – such as a locked
cupboard or high shelf. Just over a third of respondents store pesticides for under a year and a further 44%
store pesticides for 1 to 2 years.
Finally, the survey addressed disposal of pesticides. 44% of respondents dispose of empty pesticide
containers in their recycling container; this has increased since 2007 when the residual bin was the most
popular disposal location. Disposal methods varied between locations, with recycling collections being
favoured in some but the residual waste bin in others. In terms of unused pesticides themselves, just 11% of
respondents said that they dispose of these. Of these, 38% took the pesticides to their local household waste
recycling centre for disposal, but 20% pour them down the drain and 24% put them in their residual waste bin.
Disposal routes also varied somewhat by location, with HWRCs being widely used in Ipswich but hardly used
at all in Glasgow.
This report sets out the findings from the 2010 survey in detail, and also compares these to the 2007 survey
findings. Although many responses to the questions were similar for both years, there are a number of
differences and these have been set out in the main body of the report. In particular, the types of products
purchased, sources of further information on products, and disposal routes have changed to some extent
since 2007.
The original survey, with all questions and the choice of answers offered to respondents can be found
appended to this report.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
1
1.
Introduction
The Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) approached Resource Futures to repeat a survey conducted in
2007 to identify the habits of amateur pesticide users. The purpose of this research is to provide robust
information on user habits regarding purchasing, use, storage and disposal of pesticides. The project
supports the ongoing work of the Amateur Use Action Plan Implementation Group (AUAPIG), which involves
CRD and other stakeholders encouraging best practice in use, storage, and safe disposal of unused products
and empty containers.
2.
Background
Pesticides include weedkillers (herbicides), slug pellets (molluscicides), fungicide sprays, animal repellents,
hormone rooting powders, insecticides, plant growth regulators and lawn sand treatments and they are widely
used by amateur gardeners. Around 6-7 million people use products to protect plants in their gardens, which
represents only a small amount of total UK pesticides use. Agricultural and horticultural uses account for 85%
of the value of sales and 80% of the amount used, whilst garden, household, forestry and amenity uses
1
account for the remainder .
Products licensed for domestic use are much lower risk than professional products. However, as they are
used by untrained householders, there are potential health and safety and environmental concerns
(pesticides continue to reach rivers and streams in the UK at levels over the prescribed standards).
The European Commission has published a Directive for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides, including a range
of measures designed to reduce the risk pesticides can pose both to the public and environment, e.g.
ensuring that the public only have access to products specifically authorized for non-professional use;
requiring distributors to give advice promoting sustainable use (hazard, risk, safe storage, handling,
application and disposal); special measures to avoid dangerous handling of pesticides. The CRD is the
competent authority in the UK to implement these European Directives, further information can be found on
their website.
3.
Methods
The same questionnaire that was used in 2007 was used for this research (with no amendments). It is
included in Appendix 1. A briefing note was updated and provided to the market research company, this is
provided in Appendix 2. The survey work was conducted by a market research company, PH Research, with
whom Resource Futures has worked successfully on other projects. They also undertook this task during the
2007 project.
3.1
Survey locations
2
Resource Futures liaised with the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) to confirm the garden centres
where the survey work could be conducted. With the exception of Chepstow, all the garden centres used
were also used in 2007 (Hurrans in Newport was used in 2007). The table below lists the six garden centres
where market research was carried out.
1
http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/uploadedfiles/Web_Assets/PSD/Updated_National_Strategy.pdf
The HTA also provided a number of garden centre gift vouchers that were offered to survey participants that chose to enter the free
prize draw associated with completing the survey. Winners were chosen at random from the respondent database held by PH Research.
2
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
2
Table 3.1: Survey locations
Name of garden centre
Location
Region
Dobbies Garden World
Preston
North West
Dobbies Garden World
Milngavie, Glasgow
Scotland
Chepstow Garden Centre
Chepstow
Wales
Notcutts
Oxfordshire
South East
Notcutts
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
South East
Notcutts
Suffolk
East
3.2
Survey implementation
3
The survey was carried out at all garden centres from Wednesday 12 May to Sunday 16 May , with one
member of staff in place Wednesday to Friday and two members of staff in place at the weekend in order to
take advantage of the periods with the highest footfall. The survey was carried out in six-hour shifts at all
locations between 10am and 4pm, with modification of working hours on Sunday as required to fit in with
store opening hours. This is the same as in 2007 when the survey was conducted between 16 and 20 May.
Questionnaires were only undertaken with garden centre shoppers who confirmed that they used pesticides in
their gardens. Respondents were prompted with examples of relevant products if required (see Appendix 1 for
the questionnaire). A total of 1,050 responses were obtained, 175 from each location.
Data was inputted by PH Research staff and subject to minimum 10% validation.
4.
Summary of 2007 survey results
The bullet points below are the key survey findings as reported in 2007:

As might be expected, a majority of the respondents (53%) defined themselves as „keen and
regular gardeners‟.

The sample had a bias to older age groups, with only 0.9% of respondents in the 16-24 age group,
and more than 80% over 45.

The most frequently purchased products were slug pellets (67% of respondents), weed-killers
(50%) and lawn treatments (45%).

The majority of respondents purchased either one (32%) or two (27%) products each year. Around
one in ten people purchased an average of less than one product per year, while a total of 16.3% of
respondents purchased 4 or more products each year.

There was considerable variation between locations regarding types and numbers of products
bought. For example, the proportions of gardeners buying four or more products each year ranged
from 8% in Tunbridge Wells to 23% in Preston. This may be related to some extent to different
climatic conditions across survey locations.

There was also some variation regarding numbers of product purchased between different
categories of gardener; numbers of respondents buying one product or fewer each year ranged
from 39% for the „keen and regular gardener‟ group to 59% for the „gardening is a chore‟ group.
3
With the exception of Milngavie which conducted the interviews between Thursday 13 and Monday 17 May, due to exceptional
circumstances.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
3

Only small minorities of respondents stated that they rarely or never read product instructions (6%);
regarded instructions as unclear (2.5%, with a further 4% unsure); or stated that they did not (2%)
or only sometimes (6%) follow instructions.

Differences between categories of gardener regarding attitude to instructions were marginal.
However, as might be expected, the „gardening is a chore‟ group included the highest proportions
of people rarely/never reading instructions (10%); finding instructions unclear or answering unsure
(12% combined); or not / only sometimes following instructions (14% combined).

In addition to product instructions, garden centre staff, magazines, TV programmes and websites
were the most frequently cited sources, with the BBC (Gardeners‟ World) and RHS being the most
popular among these.

Nearly half of respondents (47%) only used „ready-to-use‟ products, and are therefore not at risk of
disposing of products that need diluting (and thus carry the greatest environmental risk) in an
inappropriate fashion. Respondents from the 25-44 age group were considerably more likely to use
ready-to-use products only, with nearly 60%, compared to 45% and 42% respectively for the 45-64
and 65 and over groups.

Among respondents using products that require diluting before use:

10% estimate or guess amount of product to be used, with a slightly lower likelihood of doing
so with ascending age;

24% save products that they have already mixed, with more than twice as many of the 65 and
over group (27%) as the 25-44 group (13%) storing products;

60% rinse empty containers, with those in the 65 and over group (66%) the most likely to do so;

„Keen and regular‟ gardeners were more likely than other categories to rinse pesticide
containers before disposal (67%).

More than half of respondents rinsing containers put the rinsings down the drain, with small
numbers also using the sink (7%) or the toilet (0.9%).

The shed was the most frequent location for storage of pesticides (59%), followed by the garage
(31%). Only 4% of people stored pesticides in the home. Just over one in ten respondents specified
safety precautions such as keeping pesticides on a high shelf or in a locked cupboard or other
container.

Regarding storage duration, most respondents used products in one season (34%), or stored for
between 1 to 2 years (50%). However, one in ten stored products for 2 to 3 years and around 6%
for 3 years or more. This indicates that there is some hoarding of products in lieu of disposal, but
that this is only carried out by a minority.

Nearly half of gardeners disposed of empty pesticide containers in the dustbin, while more than a
third were recycling them. Nearly one in five were disposing of containers at their local household
waste recycling centre (HWRC), while a small number (1%) burned containers.

More than one in eight respondents (14%) stated that they disposed of pesticides. This implies that
the majority of respondents were using up products for their intended purpose. It also implies that
the sample size of respondents disposing of pesticides is relatively small (145), so findings relating
to this group of respondents should be treated with some caution, e.g. disposal routes.

The proportions of gardeners disposing of unused or unwanted pesticides ranged from 6% in
Newport (10 respondents) to 23% in Oxford (39 respondents). No compelling explanation can be
suggested for this variation.

The methods used for disposal of unused or unwanted pesticides varied, but the survey made it
clear that products are being disposed of by some gardeners in an inappropriate fashion. The most
frequently cited disposal route was to take products to the local HWRC (32% of those disposing of
pesticides). A small proportion (3%) used a local authority collection service. However, the second
most frequent disposal method stated was the bin (28%). One in five respondents disposing of
pesticides – 29 respondents – did so by putting them down the drain, while small numbers also
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
4
used the sink or the toilet. As a proportion of the total sample, 4% of respondents were disposing of
pesticides via the bin and 3% were putting them down the drain.

Some variation between locations was observed with reference to disposal methods. However,
findings should be treated with caution because of small sample sizes that differed between
locations. It can be speculated, however, that areas with suitably publicised household hazardous
waste collection services (either at HWRCs or from households) may attract more disposal via
appropriate methods.
With specific reference to respondents disposing of pesticides:
5.
5.1

A substantial majority (62%) of respondents fell into the 45-64 age group, which made up 50% of
the overall sample. In the 45-64 age group, 17% of respondents said that they disposed of
pesticides; this was more than double the proportion of 25-44 year olds.

A majority of respondents (53% or 77 respondents) disposing of pesticides classed themselves as
keen and regular gardeners. The greatest proportion disposing of pesticides within any category
was 19%, for the “enjoy gardening – don‟t have time” group. Only 1 respondent (2%) from the
“gardening is a chore” group disposed of pesticides.

The most frequently cited disposal route was to take products to the local HWRC (32%). The
second most frequent disposal method stated was the bin (28%). Significant numbers of
respondents (20%) disposed of pesticides by putting them down the drain, while small numbers
also used the sink or the toilet.

Many of those disposing of pesticides using inappropriate methods are disposing of products that
need diluting before use. Thus, while 47% of the total survey sample used “ready-to-use” products
only, this was true of only 17% of respondents who disposed of pesticides down the drain, and 29%
of those who put them in the bin. In other words, users of concentrated products appear to be overrepresented among those disposing of products in an inappropriate fashion.

There appeared to be no relationship between perceptions of and use of instructions and
inappropriate disposal methods; of those disposing of pesticides to the drain, 93% claimed to follow
product instructions and 97% claimed that they found instructions clear.

The latter finding may indicate that respondents have claimed that they read and follow instructions
when this is not the case. It also indicates that it is unlikely that people disposing of pesticides in
inappropriate ways are aware that they may be causing environmental damage. On this basis, it
could be argued that messages regarding appropriate disposal of pesticide products need to be
marked more prominently on products.
2010 survey results
Respondent characteristics
5.1.1 Gardener type
Respondents were asked “Which one of these descriptions best describes how you feel about gardening?”,
and asked to select the most appropriate options from those listed below in Table 5.2. These descriptions
were developed for the 2007 survey in consultation with the HTA and are based on the categories used by
the association in its Garden Industry Monitor reports.
However, the thinking and definitions underlying these categories has been used in developing the attitude
statements in Table 5.2, which can be seen as corresponding roughly to the HTA categories shown in Table
5.1 as follows:

The „keen and regular gardener‟ statement corresponds to the HTA‟s „very keen‟ and „quite
keen‟ gardener categories.

The „enjoy gardening but don't always have the time‟ statement corresponds approximately to
the HTA‟s „marginal gardener‟ category.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
5

The „like to keep the garden tidy, but not a hobby‟ statement can be seen as straddling the
HTA‟s „marginal gardener‟ and the “not keen” categories.

The „gardening is a chore‟ statement corresponds to the HTA‟s „not keen‟ category.
The HTA‟s „definitely hostile‟ and „unavailable‟ categories were considered unlikely to account for significant
levels of pesticide use and, as in 2007, have not been addressed in this survey.
Table 5.1: HTA Garden Industry Monitor categories
Category of
Gardener
Description
Proportion of the
Great British
population (%)
Very keen
gardeners
Those who positively enjoy gardening are interested and knowledgeable and spend time
pursuing what is really an established hobby.
18
Quite keen
gardeners
Those who claim to be quite interested and who make a positive claim about enjoyment.
Although they actively work in their own gardens, they do not express a desire to increase
the amount of gardening that they currently do.
16
Marginal
gardeners
Those who do some gardening, are not hostile to gardening and express a willingness to
do more.
30
Not keen
gardeners
Those who do some gardening, but do not wish to do more, coupled with negative
attitudinal responses indicating that the gardening undertaken is not because it interests
them. Largely those who see gardening as a chore.
21
Definitely
hostile
Those with a place to grow outdoor plants who do very little or no gardening and who have
totally negative attitudes to, or interest and enjoyment in gardening, with low knowledge
and absolutely no wish to do more.
14
Unavailable
This group does not lack interest in gardening nor do they lack knowledge. However, they
do little or no gardening, possibly due to insurmountable obstacles such as health or
domestic responsibilities.
2
Source: Horticultural Trades Association
Table 5.2: Attitudes to gardening
Response
Frequency
%
I am a keen and regular gardener - gardening is an
enjoyable hobby
528
50
I enjoy gardening but don‟t always have time for it
298
28
I like to keep the garden tidy, but wouldn‟t call it a
hobby
180
17
Gardening is a chore
44
4
Number of respondents (N) = 1050
Half of all survey respondents identified themselves as „keen and regular gardeners‟ as can be seen in Table
5.2 above and Figure 5.1 below. The number of people who enjoy gardening has increased by approximately
7%. This is higher than in the 2007 survey which could indicate that behaviour has changed or it could simply
be due to the survey being undertaken at garden centres and therefore this category is well represented in
the survey. The 2010 survey was completed by more respondents who „enjoy gardening but don‟t always
have time for it‟ (28%, up from 21.5% in 2007) but by fewer of those who „like to keep the garden tidy but
wouldn‟t call it a hobby‟ (17%, down from 20% in 2007). The number of respondents who see gardening as „a
chore‟ remains the similar at 4% in 2010 and 5% in 2007.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
6
Figure 5.1: Attitudes to gardening
60
% of respondents
50
40
30
2010
2007
20
10
0
I am a keen and regular I enjoy gardening but
I like to keep the
Gardening is a chore
gardener - gardening is don’t always have time
garden tidy, but
an enjoyable hobby
for it
wouldn’t call it a hobby
5.1.2 Home and allotment gardening
Respondents were asked where they carry out their gardening. 99%, or 1041 out of the 1050 people
questioned, replied that they garden at home. 37 (4%) had an allotment, and 2% carry out their gardening at a
friend or relatives house or other location. Respondents could answer „yes‟ to more than one gardening
location, therefore the percentages are higher than 100%.
Table 5.3: Home and allotment gardening
Response
Garden at home
Allotment
Other (including friend or relative home)
Not answered
Frequency
1041
37
17
1
%
99
4
2
0
Note: Multiple answers. N = 1050, total responses = 1096
5.1.3 Age bracket
The age profile of the respondents was recorded. As might be expected, the 16-24 age bracket is extremely
underrepresented in the survey, with just 8 respondents (1%) falling into that age bracket. 80% of respondents
were over the age of 45, and 34% were over the age of 65.
Table 5.4: Age bracket of respondents
Response
16-24
25-44
45-64
65 and over
Frequency
8
205
480
357
%
1
20
46
34
N = 1050
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
7
Figure 5.2: Age bracket
1%
20%
34%
16-24
25-44
45-64
65 and over
46%
5.2
Purchasing habits
5.2.1 Types of product
The survey respondents were asked about the types of products that they use. As can be seen from Table
5.5, the most frequently purchased products were weedkillers, slug pellets and lawn treatments, with
weedkillers replacing slug pellets as the most purchased product when compared to the 2007 results. Figure
5.3 compares the types of products purchased in 2007 and 2010; the trends are similar, but noticeable
differences are a decrease in insecticide and slug pellet usage, and an increase in weedkiller usage which
could be attributed to a wetter 2007 and a drier 2010. The “other” category includes fence treatments and
wood preservatives that were cited by some respondents.
Table 5.5: Product types used
Response
Frequency
%
Weedkillers
662
63
Slug pellets
638
61
Lawn treatments
492
47
Fly sprays and ant powder*
358
34
Insecticides
190
18
Patio cleaners
188
18
Rooting powder/gel/hormone
150
14
Fungicide sprays
138
13
Rat and mouse killers
99
9
Animal repellents, e.g. cat / dog
73
7
Products for algae and snail control in ponds
34
3
Other
41
4
Note: Multiple answers. N = 1050, total responses = 3063
* We acknowledge that these products are biocides but as they were frequently used, and included in the 2007 survey, they have been
included in this table also.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
8
Figure 5.3: Product types used in 2007 and 2010
80
70
% of respondents
60
50
40
30
20
10
2010
0
2007
5.2.2 Quantities of products purchased
Respondents were asked on average how many pesticide products they purchase per year. Table 5.6 shows
that the majority of people buy one or two products per year. The figures for 2010 match those for 2007 fairly
closely; with the biggest difference being an increase of 4% in the number of people buying two products per
year. 8% of the survey respondents buy less than one pesticide per year, and just 15% buy four or more.
Table 5.6: Number of products purchased per year
Response
Frequency
%
Less than one
85
8
One
314
30
Two
326
31
Three
162
15
Four
76
7
Five
24
2
Six or more
63
6
N = 1050
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
9
Figure 5.4: Average number of products purchased per year in 2010 and 2007
35
30
% of respondents
25
20
15
2010
2007
10
5
0
Less than
one
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six or more
Number of products purchased per year
5.2.3 Purchase locations
Respondents were asked where they normally buy pesticides from, with the option of giving more than one
response for this question. As would be expected given where the surveys were conducted, the majority of
respondents stated that they usually buy their products from a garden centre. However, respondents were
able to give more than one response to the question, and a large number stated other locations. Over a third
said they would usually go to a DIY store and almost a quarter named supermarkets as their preferred place
of purchase. Only small numbers of respondents said that they purchase their pesticides from gardening
clubs, discount stores or wholesalers. In general, the figures are similar to 2007 figures, when 81% of people
stated garden centres and 39% stated DIY stores, although it is worth stating that it appears that purchase
from supermarkets has increased (from 17% in 2007 to 24% in 2010) possibly related to the fact that more
supermarkets stock these types of seasonal products. In table 5.7 below, the „other‟ category includes
discount stores, which eight respondents said that they bought products from and wholesalers (3 responses).
Table 5.7: Main purchase locations
Response
Frequency
%
Garden centre
839
80
DIY store
364
35
Supermarket
257
24
Gardening club or allotment society
8
1
Other
56
5
Note: Multiple answers. N = 1050, total responses = 1524.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
10
Figure 5.5: Main purchase locations
90%
80%
70%
% respondents
60%
50%
40%
2010
2007
30%
20%
10%
0%
Garden centre
DIY store
Supermarket
Gardening club or
allotment society
Other
Purchase location
5.3
Use of products
5.3.1 Product instructions
Respondents asked about how they use the instructions on the products and whether they felt that they are
clear. Specifically, they were asked:

When do you read the instructions for use on pesticides?

Do you generally find that instructions for use on pesticides are clear?

Do you follow the instructions for use on pesticides?
As some gardeners may, for example, read the instructions before purchase and again before use,
respondents were allowed to give multiple answers to the first question. Overall, 64% of respondents claim to
read the instructions before use, and 29% read them before they use the product for the first time. As can be
seen in Figure 5.6, this is a slight drop compared to 2007, when 70% of respondents claimed to read the
instructions on the product before purchase, although the number of people reading instructions before use
has increased slightly from 27% in 2007 to 29% in 2010. The overall proportion of people rarely or never
reading instructions has also fallen, from 6% in 2007 down to 4% in 2010.
Table 5.8: Reading of product instructions
Response
Before buying
Frequency
%
671
64
Before using for first time
305
29
Before using every time
138
13
Occasionally as a reminder
120
11
Rarely/ never
46
4
Note: multiple answers. N = 1050, total responses = 1951
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
11
Figure 5.6: Reading of product instructions
80
70
% of respondents
60
50
40
2010
30
2007
20
10
0
Before buying
Before using for Before using every Occasionally as a
first time
time
reminder
Rarely/ never
Response
In terms of the clarity of instructions, 90% of respondents stated that they generally find instructions for use on
pesticides are clear, with 5% finding them unclear and 5% being unsure. This is a drop from 94% finding the
instructions clear in 2007, as shown in Figure 5.7 below.
Table 5.9: Perceptions of instruction clarity
Response
Yes
Frequency
%
946
90
No
50
5
Not sure
53
5
Not answered
1
0
N = 1050
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
12
Figure 5.7: Perceptions of instruction clarity
100
90
80
% respondents
70
60
50
2010
40
2007
30
20
10
0
Yes
No
Not sure
Response
92% of respondents also stated that they do follow the instructions on products, with small numbers saying
that they only sometimes follow instructions (5%) or don‟t follow instructions (3%). This is very similar to the
figures for 2007, when again 92% stated that they follow the instructions, 2% stated that they do not, and 6%
only sometimes follow instructions.
Table 5.10: Following product instructions
Response
Yes
Frequency
%
961
92
No
34
3
Sometimes
55
5
N = 1050
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
13
Figure 5.8: Following product instructions
100
90
80
% respondents
70
60
50
2010
40
2007
30
20
10
0
Yes
No
Response
Sometimes
5.3.2 Other sources of information
Respondents were asked which other sources they look to when trying to find information on safe pesticide
usage. Table 5.11 shows the responses for the 2010 survey; websites are the most popular means of finding
further information on pesticides. Google was cited most frequently amongst respondents, followed by the
RHS website, other gardening websites, and garden centre websites. Of the magazines, the second most
popular category, Gardeners‟ World was the most popular choice. These responses are provided in more
detail below in Table 5.12. There is quite a variation between these results and 2007 results, as shown in
Figure 5.9 below. Websites have doubled in popularity, from approximately 7% to 14%, whilst all other
sources have decreased in popularity to various extents. This is not surprising given the widespread use of
home computers and internet use. „Other‟ sources of information specified were newspapers (1%) and
gardening clubs (less than 1%).
Table 5.11: Other sources of information
Response
Websites
Frequency
%
151
14
Magazines
81
8
TV
52
5
Garden centre staff
49
5
Other gardeners
40
4
Books
38
4
Radio
16
2
Leaflets
13
1
Product company helpline
3
0
Gardening advice helpline
2
0
Other
24
2
None
620
59
Note: Multiple answers. N = 1050, total responses = 1089
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
14
Figure 5.9: Other sources of information in 2010 and 2007
16
14
% of respondents
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
2010
2007
Source of information
Table 5.12: Specific source of information
Category
Total in
category
Specific responses
Number of
responses
Websites
151
Magazines
81
Google
RHS
Gardening sites
Suttons
Notcutts
Varied sites
Gardeners World
Gardening
RHS The Garden
BBC Gardens
Which
56
7
19
2
2
17
21
12
8
4
7
TV
52
Gardeners World
Gardening programme
12
14
Radio
16
Gardeners Question Time
Gardeners World
8
4
Other
gardeners
40
Friends / family
Neighbours
14
2
Garden centre
staff
Other
49
Notcutts
Chepstow
Newspaper
Gardening club
2
14
8
3
24
N = 413
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
15
5.3.3 Ready-to-use and concentrated products
Respondents were asked whether they tended to use ready-to-use products or products that require dilution,
or both. 53% stated that they only use ready-to-use products, 16% only use products that require dilution, and
31% use both. There is an increase in the proportion of respondents using ready-to-use products and a fall in
dilution products since 2007, when 47% used the former and 20% the latter. There was also a link between
age groups, with younger respondents more likely to use ready-to-use products and older gardeners more
likely to buy products for dilution (which mirrors findings from 2007).
Table 5.13: Ready-to-use and concentrated products
Response
Ready-to-use only
Frequency
%
553
53
Need diluting only
171
16
Both
325
31
Not answered
1
0
N = 1050
Figure 5.10: Ready-to-use and concentrated products
60
% respondents
50
40
30
2010
2007
20
10
0
Ready-to-use only
Need diluting only
Both
Response
The 496 people who replied that they use products that require diluting were then asked a series of questions
about their use of these products. Firstly, they were asked whether they use measuring devices or if they
estimate / guess the amount of product to use when diluting. 91% of respondents stated that they use a
measuring device or cap provided with the product; the same as was found in 2007. However, it is good to
see that the percentage of respondents guessing the amount of product to use has fallen by 2% since 2007.
Table 5.14: Measurement methods
Response
Measuring device / cap provided with
product
Estimate of guess
Frequency
%
452
91
42
8
Other
7
1
Note: Multiple answers. N = 496, total responses = 511
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
16
Figure 5.11: Measurement methods
100
90
80
% respondents
70
60
50
2010
40
2007
30
20
10
0
Measuring device / cap
provided with product
Estimate or guess
Other
Measurement method
These respondents were then asked if they ever save any product that they have mixed up. Figure 5.12
shows the results, with 20% of respondents saving mixed products. This is a decrease of 4% since 2007.
Table 5.15: Storage of products after dilution
Response
Frequency
%
Yes
100
20
No
396
80
N = 496
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
17
Figure 5.12: Storage of products after dilution
90
80
70
% respondents
60
50
2010
40
2007
30
20
10
0
Yes
No
Response
Finally, these respondents were asked whether they rinse out pesticide containers before disposal, and if so,
what they do with the rinsings. Figure 5.13 shows that 68% of respondents rinse their empty containers
before disposing of them; this is quite a significant increase of 8% from 2007 when 60% of respondents said
that they rinse empty containers.
Table 5.16: Rinsing of empty containers
Response
Frequency
%
Yes
332
68
No
157
32
Not answered
7
1
N = 496
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
18
Figure 5.13: Rinsing of empty containers
80
70
% respondents
60
50
40
2010
30
2007
20
10
0
Yes
No
Not answered
Response
Table 5.17 and Figure 5.14 show that the majority (52%) of respondents dispose of their container rinsings
down the drain. 24% of respondents pour the rinsings onto waste ground, and just 5% add the rinsings to
their dilute product. These figures are similar to the 2007 findings, as can be seen in Figure 5.14. It is worth
noting that fewer respondents use the rinsings for their intended use than in 2007.
Table 5.17: Disposal of rinsings
Response
Drain
Put onto waste ground
Sink
Add to dilute product
Put on plants/garden
Toilet
Other
Not answered
Frequency
174
80
32
16
8
4
17
1
%
52
24
10
5
2
1
5
0
N = 332
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
19
Figure 5.14: Disposal of rinsings in 2010 and 2007
60
% of respondents
50
40
30
2010
20
2007
10
0
5.4
Storage
All survey respondents were asked where they store their pesticides, with multiple responses being allowed.
60% of respondents store their pesticides in the shed (very similar to 59% in 2007), with a further 33% storing
the products in their garage (again, similar to 31% in 2007). Just 4% of respondents stated a safety
precaution such as a locked cupboard or high shelf. This is a drop from 2007 when approximately 11%
specified a safety precaution. A comparison of answers between the two surveys can be seen in Figure 5.15
below.
Table 5.18: Storage locations
Response
Shed
Frequency
%
627
60
Garage
349
33
Greenhouse
57
5
In the house
50
5
Locked cupboard/ container
20
2
High shelf
20
2
Other
17
2
Not answered
9
1
Note: Multiple answers. N = 1050, total responses = 1149
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
20
Figure 5.15: Storage locations in 2010 and 2007
70
60
% of respondents
50
40
30
2010
2007
20
10
0
Shed
Garage
Greenhouse
High shelf
Locked
In the house
cupboard/
container
Other
Storage location
Respondents were then asked how long they store pesticides for before disposing of them. As shown in Table
5.19 and Figure 5.16, the most common length of time to store pesticides for was 1 to 2 years, with 44% of
respondents citing this answer, and a further 10% store pesticides for 2 to 3 years. Over a third of
respondents store pesticides for under a year. These results are very similar to 2007, when 34% stated that
they store pesticides for less than 1 year, 50% store them for 1 to 2 years, and 10% for 2 to 3 years. The
2010 survey found slightly higher proportions storing pesticides for over 3 years, with 9% reporting this
compared to 6% in 2007.
Table 5.19: Length of storage
Response
Frequency
%
Less than 1 year
368
35
1 to 2 years
458
44
2 to 3 years
108
10
3 to 5 years
52
5
More than 5 years
45
4
Not answered
19
2
N = 1050
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
21
Figure 5.16: Length of storage in 2010 and 2007
60
50
% respondents
40
30
2010
2007
20
10
0
Less than 1 year
1 to 2 years
2 to 3 years
3 to 5 years
More than 5 years
Length of storage
5.5
Disposal
Finally, respondents were asked about how they dispose of their pesticide products, both in terms of the
empty containers and where relevant, the pesticides themselves. Table 5.20 shows that the largest proportion
of respondents dispose of their empty containers with their recycling, with the household residual waste bin
the second most popular disposal route. Most of the remaining respondents take their containers to their local
household waste recycling centre. Figure 5.17 compares these figures with the 2007 responses. It is
interesting to see that using the recycling container has become the most popular disposal route and has
overtaken the residual waste bin, which was the most popular route in 2007. Also, no respondents specifically
cited „burning‟ as their method of disposal, which 14 respondents did in 2007, although this could come under
the „other‟ category.
Table 5.20: Disposal of pesticide containers
Response
Frequency
%
Bin
404
38
Recycling box/bin/bag
Household waste and recycling centre/ tip/ civic amenity
site
Other
464
44
220
21
19
2
Not answered
2
0
Note: Multiple answers. N = 1050, total responses = 1109
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
22
Figure 5.17: Disposal of pesticide containers in 2010 and 2007
60
50
% of respondents
40
30
2010
2007
20
10
0
Bin
Recycling box/bin/bag Household waste and
recycling centre/ tip/
civic amenity site
Other
Disposal option
When asked, 11% of respondents said that they do dispose of unused or unwanted pesticides; this was 117
individuals in total, who then provided 125 responses on disposal routes. It is positive to see that there has
been a reduction of 3% in the number of respondents disposing of unused or unwanted pesticides since
2007. Of these, 38% dispose of their pesticides responsibly by taking the products to their household waste
recycling centre, and a further 8% use a local authority collection service. However, it should be noted that not
all HWRCs may have appropriate facilities for disposing of pesticides and so these products could still end up
in the residual waste stream. Also, there are not many local authorities that provide a household hazardous
waste collection service therefore this option would not be available to all. There are still large numbers who
do not dispose of their pesticides appropriately, with 24% putting the products in their bin, and 20% pouring
them down the drain. It is positive to see that the number of people using HWRCs has increased from 32% in
2007 to 38% in 2010.
Table 5.21: Disposal of unused or unwanted pesticides
Frequency
%
Response
Yes
117
11
No
929
88
Not answered
4
0
N = 1050
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
23
Figure 5.18: Disposal of unused or unwanted pesticides
100
90
80
% respondents
70
60
50
2010
40
2007
30
20
10
0
Yes
No
Response
Table 5.22: Disposal methods for unused or unwanted pesticides
Response
Household waste and recycling centre/ tip/ civic amenity site
Bin
Drain
Local authority collection service
Spray onto waste ground
Sink
Toilet
Other
Not answered
Frequency
45
28
23
9
6
4
3
5
2
%
38
24
20
8
5
3
3
4
2
N = 125
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
24
Figure 5.19: Disposal methods for unused or unwanted pesticides in 2010 and 2007
40
35
% of respondents
30
25
20
2010
15
2007
10
5
0
Household
waste and
recycling
centre
Bin
Drain
Local
Spray onto
authority
waste
collection ground
service
Sink
Toilet
Other
Disposal method
6.
Cross-tabulation
This section summarises the results from cross-tabulation of key variables: location, age bracket and attitude
towards gardening. There is also further analysis into the characteristics of respondents disposing of
pesticides.
6.1 Location
Firstly, the type of products purchased has been compared across locations. Figure 6.1 below shows these
results. There are a number of variations between different locations, including:

Increase in use of weedkillers across all locations since 2007

Greater use of weedkillers and lawn treatments in Glasgow than in any other location.

Use of rat and mouse killers is highest in Oxford and Chepstow.

Use of slug pellets is lowest in Glasgow, and highest in Chepstow, closely followed by Tunbridge
Wells.

Fungicide spray usage ranged from 7% in Glasgow to 19% in Ipswich.

Use of patio cleaners was higher in Preston, Chepstow and Tunbridge Wells than in the other three
locations, with the overall range extending from 14% to 22%

Use of rooting powder / gel / hormone was highest in Chepstow (18%) and lowest in Glasgow and
Tunbridge Wells (10%).
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
25
Table 6.1: Product types used by location
Glasgow
Ipswich
Oxford
Preston
Tunbridge
Wells
Chepstow
Weedkillers
74%
58%
61%
63%
55%
68%
Slug pellets
43%
50%
57%
62%
74%
79%
Lawn treatments
Fly sprays and ant
powder
61%
49%
36%
50%
45%
41%
19%
39%
38%
42%
30%
36%
Insecticides
11%
15%
27%
22%
19%
14%
Patio cleaners
Rooting
powder/gel/hormone
14%
15%
17%
22%
20%
21%
10%
17%
14%
15%
10%
18%
Fungicide sprays
7%
19%
17%
11%
13%
11%
Rat and mouse killers
Animal repellents, e.g.
cat/ dog
Products for algae and
snail control in ponds
1%
10%
14%
9%
8%
14%
5%
6%
7%
7%
9%
9%
3%
5%
2%
3%
3%
3%
Other
1%
0%
1%
19%
1%
1%
Note: Multiple answers. N = 1050, total responses = 3063
It is worth noting that the other category in Table 6.1 includes wood preservatives and fence treatments,
which only respondents in Preston cited as purchasing during this survey. As Appendix 1 shows, this was not
a product type listed in the survey therefore it is unclear why so many Preston residents mentioned purchase
of these products.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
26
Figure 6.1: Product types used by location
100%
90%
80%
% of respondents
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Glasgow
Ipswich
Oxford
Preston
Tunbridge Wells
Chepstow
Area
Weedkillers
Lawn treatments
Insecticides
Rooting powder/gel/hormone
Rat and mouse killers
Products for algae and snail control in ponds
Slug pellets
Fly sprays and ant powder
Patio cleaners
Fungicide sprays
Animal repellents, eg cat/ dog
Other
The number of products purchased also varies by location. Table 6.2 and Figure 6.2 show these differences,
whilst Figure 6.3 shows the number of people purchasing 4 or more products.
Table 6.2: Number of products purchased by location
Response
Less than one
Total
Glasgow
Ipswich
Oxford
Preston
Tunbridge
Wells
Chepstow
8%
2%
8%
9%
5%
14%
10%
One
30%
34%
39%
27%
26%
28%
25%
Two
31%
33%
34%
31%
30%
31%
27%
Three
15%
16%
10%
18%
18%
13%
18%
Four
7%
8%
4%
7%
10%
6%
9%
Five
2%
1%
3%
1%
3%
2%
3%
Six or more
6%
6%
2%
7%
7%
6%
8%
N = 1050
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
27
Figure 6.2: Number of products purchased per year
45%
40%
% of respondents
35%
30%
Less than one
25%
One
20%
Two
Three
15%
Four
10%
Five
Six or more
5%
0%
Total
Glasgow
Ipswich
Oxford
Preston
Tunbridge Chepstow
Wells
Location
Ipswich and Tunbridge Wells both have the smaller proportion of gardeners buying 4 or more products per
year, and accordingly have the highest proportion of gardeners buying 1 or less per year. Preston and
Chepstow have the highest proportion of people buying 4 or more products per year, and Preston has the
lowest proportion of gardeners buying 1 product or less per year.
Figure 6.3: Respondents buying 4 or more products per year
25%
% of respondents
20%
15%
2010
10%
2007
5%
0%
Glasgow
Ipswich
Oxford
Preston
Location
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
Tunbridge
Wells
Chepstow
(2010) /
Newport
(2007)
28
In terms of the disposal of pesticides, Table 6.3 and Figure 6.4 show that the proportions of gardeners in each
region disposing of unused or unwanted pesticides range from 7% in Chepstow to 18% in Preston. In
Glasgow, Ipswich, Oxford and Tunbridge Wells the number of respondents disposing of pesticides has
decreased.
Table 6.3: Disposal of unused or unwanted pesticides by location
Response
Yes
No
Glasgow
Ipswich
Oxford
Preston
Tunbridge
Wells
Chepstow
117
22
15
20
31
17
12
11%
13%
9%
11%
18%
10%
7%
929
153
159
155
144
158
160
88%
87%
91%
89%
82%
90%
91%
4
0
1
0
0
0
3
0%
0%
1%
0%
0%
0%
2%
Total
Not answered
N = 1050
Figure 6.4: Disposal of unused or unwanted pesticides by location
20%
18%
16%
% respondents
14%
12%
10%
2010
8%
2007
6%
4%
2%
0%
Glasgow
Ipswich
Oxford
Preston
Tunbridge
Wells
Chepstow /
Newport
Location
Table 6.4 and Figure 6.5 summarise proportions of respondents in each location using different disposal
methods for their pesticides. Only 9% of respondents in Glasgow use an HWRC, compared with 60% in
Ipswich and 50% in Oxford. The number of respondents using HWRCs has also increased in Preston from
29% to 48%, and in Chepstow (Newport in 2007) from 20% to 42%. In Glasgow, inappropriate disposal has
increased dramatically, with 41% of respondents pouring pesticides down the drain; a figure that has more
than doubled since 2007. Inappropriate disposal down the drain has also increased in Oxford from 15% to
25%. In Tunbridge Wells, a relatively high proportion, 41% dispose of their pesticides in the bin. It is worth
noting however, that the numbers of respondents answering this question were relatively small, so figures
should be treated with some caution. In terms of the local authority collection service, according to the local
authority websites for the areas in which each garden centre is based, only Ipswich Borough Council offers a
hazardous waste collection service which includes pesticides. Monmouthshire County Borough Council and
Oxfordshire County Council both specify on their website that pesticides should be taken to HWRCs, as does
Ipswich, which goes some way to explaining the higher figures for use of HWRCs in these areas, although not
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
29
for Preston. The figure of 14% using a collection service in Glasgow is surprising because the local authority
does not provide a household hazardous waste collection, and it is perhaps the case that these respondents
have confused a special waste collection with their kerbside recycling collection. This could be the case for
the other areas too.
Table 6.4: Disposal routes of unwanted or unused pesticides by location
Glasgow
Ipswich
Oxford
Preston
Tunbridge
Wells
Chepstow
38%
9%
60%
50%
48%
24%
42%
Bin
24%
18%
13%
10%
32%
41%
25%
Drain
20%
41%
7%
25%
13%
18%
8%
Local authority collection service
8%
14%
7%
5%
6%
6%
8%
Spray onto waste ground
5%
9%
13%
0%
3%
0%
8%
Sink
3%
14%
0%
0%
0%
6%
0%
Toilet
3%
0%
0%
5%
0%
12%
0%
Other
4%
0%
0%
10%
3%
12%
0%
Not answered
2%
0%
0%
0%
3%
0%
8%
Response
Household waste and recycling
centre/ tip/ civic amenity site
Total
N = 117
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
30
Figure 6.5: Disposal routes for unwanted or unused pesticides by location
70%
60%
% of respondents
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Glasgow
Ipswich
Oxford
Preston
Tunbridge Wells
Chepstow
Location
Householdwasteandrecyclingcentre/tip/civic amenitysite
Drain
Sprayontowaste ground
Toilet
Notanswered
Bin
Localauthoritycollectionservice
Sink
Other
It is interesting to look at the disposal method for empty containers by area. Whilst the total figures show that
more people dispose of their containers through recycling collections than through residual waste collections,
this is not the case in Glasgow, Chepstow and Tunbridge Wells. Whilst use of the bin exceeds recycling by
just 1% in Glasgow, in Chepstow and Tunbridge Wells it is substantially higher. All six local authorities include
plastic bottles in their kerbside recycling collection so this does not explain the differences. However, the
proportion of people taking the containers to their local HWRC is relatively high in Tunbridge Wells. In
Ipswich, Oxford and Preston the proportion of people using the recycling service is substantially higher than
those disposing of the containers in the residual waste bin. Research was not carried out into the recycling
communications activity of the local authorities; therefore it is unclear why these locations should differ to
such an extent. See Table 6.5 for more detail on disposal of containers by location.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
31
Table 6.5: Disposal of containers by location
Response
Tunbridge
Wells
Chepstow
37%
45%
52%
54%
50%
34%
43%
30%
19%
18%
28%
10%
1%
4%
1%
0%
5%
1%
0%
1%
0%
0%
1%
0%
Total
Glasgow
Ipswich
Oxford
Bin
38%
41%
25%
31%
Recycling box/bin/bag
Household waste and
recycling centre/ tip/ civic
amenity site
44%
40%
43%
21%
21%
Other
2%
Not answered
*%
Preston
N = 1050
6.2
Age bracket
The 16-24 age bracket was underrepresented in this survey, with just 1% of respondents falling into this
category. The largest proportion (46%) was in the 45-64 age bracket, with 34% falling into 65 and over. The
remaining 20% account for the 25-44 age group. Because only 8 of the 1050 respondents fell into the 16-24
age bracket, results for this group should be treated with some caution. They have, however, still been
included in the analyses below. The 45 and over age brackets were the most likely to use concentrated
products; no respondents in the 16-24 age group said that they use these. This can be seen in Table 6.6 and
Figure 6.6.
Table 6.6: Ready-to-use and concentrated products use by age bracket
Response
Ready-to-use only
Need diluting only
Both
16-24
25-44
45-64
65 and over
Count
8
120
247
178
Percentage
100%
59%
51%
50%
Count
0
28
87
56
Percentage
0%
14%
18%
16%
Count
0
57
146
122
Percentage
0%
28%
30%
34%
N = 1050
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
32
Figure 6.6: Ready-to-use and concentrated products use by age bracket in 2010
120%
100%
% of respondents
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
16-24
25-44
45-64
65 and over
Ready-to-use only (2010)
Age bracket
Need diluting only (2010)
Both (2010)
Ready-to-use only (2007)
Need diluting only (2007)
Both (2007)
As shown in Table 6.7, there is some correlation between the age bracket of the respondent and whether they
use a measuring device or estimate the quantities for dilution. The 65 and over age group has the highest
proportion of respondents using a measuring device and the lowest proportion estimating quantities, whilst
the youngest age group to respond has the lowest proportion using a measuring device and highest
estimating quantities. Compared with 2007 figures, there has been a small increase of 2% of 65+ year olds
and a slight decrease of 4% of 25-44 year olds using measuring devices. As no respondents in the 16-24 age
group replied that they use products that require dilution this age bracket has not been included.
Table 6.7: Measurement methods by age bracket
25-44
45-64
65 and
over
Measuring device/cap provided with product
86%
90%
95%
Estimate or guess
14%
9%
5%
2%
2%
1%
Response
Other
N = 496
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
33
There is also some correlation between age bracket and storage of products after dilution. The oldest age
group 65 and over is the most likely to store products after dilution, with almost twice as many (25%) in this
age group storing products than in the youngest responding age group (13%). There has been a slight
improvement since 2007 in the number of 45-64 year olds not storing products after dilution, with „no‟ answers
increasing from 74% to 81% in this age bracket.
Table 6.8: Storage of products after dilution by age bracket
Response
25-44
45-64
65 and over
Yes
13%
19%
25%
No
87%
81%
75%
N = 496
Similarly, those in the 65 and over age bracket are the most likely to rinse containers before disposing of
them, with 74% of respondents saying that they do this, compared to just 48% in the youngest responding
age bracket. The middle age bracket is just slightly less likely than the 65 and over bracket to rinse their
empty containers before disposal.
Table 6.9: Rinsing of empty containers by age bracket
Response
25-44
45-64
65 and over
Yes
48%
68%
74%
No
49%
30%
25%
2%
2%
1%
Not answered
N = 496
No respondents in the 16-24 age bracket said that they dispose of unused or unwanted pesticides. Of the
remaining categories, an average of 11% said that they do dispose of unused or unwanted pesticides, with
little variation between age brackets, as shown in Table 6.10 and Figure 6.7.
Table 6.10: Disposal of unwanted or unused pesticides by age bracket
Response
Yes
No
Not answered
16-24
25-44
45-64
65 and
over
0%
9%
13%
10%
100%
91%
87%
89%
0%
0%
0%
1%
N = 1050
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
34
Figure 6.7: Disposal of unwanted products by age bracket
120%
100%
80%
Yes (2010)
60%
No (2010)
Yes (2007)
No (2007)
40%
20%
0%
16-24
25-44
45-64
65 and over
Figure 6.8 below shows different methods of disposal by age bracket. The youngest responding age bracket,
25-44, is the most likely to dispose of unwanted pesticides in the bin with this being the most common
response for that age group. For respondents over the age of 45, the most common disposal route is through
a HWRC. However, these age groups are also more likely than the younger one to dispose of unwanted
pesticide down the drain. A relatively low proportion of responses were received for each of the other disposal
routes across all age categories.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
35
Figure 6.8: Disposal of unwanted or unused pesticides by age bracket
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
25-44
45-64
65 and over
Household waste and recycling centre/ tip/ civic amenity site
Bin
Drain
Local authority collection service
Spray onto waste ground
Sink
Toilet
Other
6.3
Attitudes to gardening
This section focuses on attitudes towards gardening, as different gardener types might have different habits
when it comes to purchasing, using, storing and disposing of pesticide products. For many of the questions,
responses were similar across all categories save for the „gardening is a chore‟ group. These findings are
explored in more detail in this section. In general, product usage is fairly similar across gardener types. Table
6.11 and Figure 6.9 shows the different products used by gardener category. The data shows that:

Weedkillers, slug pellets and lawn treatments were the three most commonly used products across all
categories.

Fly sprays / ant sprays are the fourth most popular product for all but the „gardening is a chore‟
category.

Keen gardeners use more insecticides and lawn treatments than the other three categories.

The „gardening is a chore‟ category uses more patio cleaners and weedkillers than the other
categories.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
36
Table 6.11: Product type used by attitude to gardening
Keen
gardener
Response
Count
Weedkillers
Percentage
Count
Slug pellets
Percentage
Count
Lawn treatments
Percentage
Count
Fly sprays and ant powder
Percentage
Count
Insecticides
Percentage
Count
Patio cleaners
Percentage
Count
Rooting powder/gel/hormone
Percentage
Count
Fungicide sprays
Percentage
Count
Rat and mouse killers
Percentage
Count
Animal repellents, e.g. cat/ dog
Percentage
Products for algae and snail
control in ponds
Count
Percentage
Count
Other
Percentage
Enjoy
gardening
Like garden
tidy
Gardening a
chore
321
184
121
36
61%
62%
67%
82%
329
187
101
21
62%
63%
56%
48%
262
126
84
20
50%
42%
47%
45%
185
104
57
12
35%
35%
32%
27%
120
46
20
4
23%
15%
11%
9%
100
50
25
13
19%
17%
14%
30%
102
33
13
2
19%
11%
7%
5%
96
28
12
2
18%
9%
7%
5%
60
22
13
4
11%
7%
7%
9%
44
16
12
1
8%
5%
7%
2%
23
8
2
1
4%
3%
1%
2%
17
10
9
5
3%
3%
5%
12%
N = 3063
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
37
Figure 6.9: Product types used by attitude to gardening
90%
80%
70%
% of respondents
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Keen gardener
Enjoy gardening
Like garden tidy
Gardening a chore
Gardener category
Weedkillers
Lawn treatments
Insecticides
Rooting powder/gel/hormone
Rat and mouse killers
Products for algae and snail control in ponds
Slug pellets
Fly sprays and ant powder
Patio cleaners
Fungicide sprays
Animal repellents, eg cat/ dog
Other
Comparing these results with those from 2007, it can be seen that in 2007 it was found that members of the
„gardening is a chore‟ group in general purchased fewer products than the other groups. Results from the
2010 survey show that once again this category has the highest proportion of respondents purchasing less
than one product per year, but interestingly, it also has the highest proportion of respondents purchasing four
products per year or six or more products per year. This would perhaps suggest that there are two types of
„not keen‟ gardeners – those who do very little to their garden (and so purchase less than one product on
average per year), and those whose approach is to control their garden with a variety of pesticide products
and so purchase a large number per year. Interestingly, it is both the „keen gardeners‟ and the „gardening is a
chore‟ category that are the highest purchasers of 6 or more products per year. The use of weedkillers
amongst the „gardening is a chore‟ category has doubled and the use of patio cleaners in this group has more
than tripled since 2007. However, these numbers are still very small so again these results should be treated
with some caution. Finally, the 2010 results show that the number of households buying just one product or
less has decreased across all gardener categories since 2007.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
38
Table 6.12: Average number of products purchased per year by attitude to gardening
Response
Keen gardener
Less than one
Enjoy
gardening
Like garden tidy
Gardening a chore
6%
9%
10%
18%
One
29%
33%
31%
20%
Two
31%
29%
34%
27%
Three
15%
17%
13%
11%
Four
8%
6%
7%
11%
Five
3%
2%
0%
2%
Six or more
8%
3%
5%
9%
N = 1050
In all categories, the highest proportion of respondents purchases one or two products per year.
Figure 6.10: Number of products purchased per year by attitude to gardening
40%
35%
% of respondents
30%
25%
Less than one
One
20%
Two
Three
Four
15%
Five
Six or more
10%
5%
0%
Keen gardener
Enjoy gardening
Like garden tidy
Gardening a chore
Gardener category
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
39
Figure 6.11: Respondents purchasing one pesticide or fewer each year
70%
60%
% respondents
50%
40%
2010
30%
2007
20%
10%
0%
Keen gardener
Enjoy gardening
Like garden tidy
Gardening a chore
Attitude to gardening
Table 6.13 shows the habits of the different gardener types when it comes to reading the instructions. It can
be seen that those least likely to read instructions before buying, and the highest proportion of those who
rarely or never read the instructions are gardeners in the „chore‟ category. They are also least likely to follow
product instructions. In terms of clarity of the instructions, the „gardening is a chore‟ category is more likely
than all other categories to find instructions unclear. This could reflect the likelihood that these respondents
spend less time on gardening and so are less familiar and less comfortable with using pesticide products.
Table 6.13: Use of instructions by attitude to gardening
Keen
gardener
Enjoy
gardening
Like garden
tidy
Gardening
a chore
Total
(count)
%
4%
4%
3%
16%
46
No
5%
4%
5%
11%
50
Not sure (%)
4%
6%
4%
14%
53
No (%)
4%
2%
2%
9%
34
Sometimes (%)
4%
5%
8%
7%
55
Response
Rarely / never
read
instructions
Instructions
clear
Follow
instructions
Note: Multiple questions. Total responses = 238.
Table 6.14 below shows the use of different types of products (ready-to-use and concentrated) by gardener
type. There is very little difference between categories, although the proportion of those in the „gardening is a
chore‟ category using ready-to-use products is slightly lower than in other categories. This contrasts the
results from 2007, when use of ready-to-use products in the „gardening is a chore‟ category was higher than
in all others. In addition, the proportion of „keen‟ gardeners purchasing ready-to-use products has increased
since 2007 from 44% to 50%.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
40
Table 6.14: Use of ready-to-use and concentrated products by attitude to gardening
Response
Keen
gardener
Total
Enjoy
gardening
Like
garden
tidy
Gardening a
chore
Ready-to-use only
53%
50%
57%
55%
48%
Need diluting only
16%
17%
13%
18%
18%
Both
31%
33%
30%
27%
34%
N = 1050
The „gardening is a chore‟ category is also the least likely to rinse pesticide containers before disposal, with
just 48% stating that they would rinse empty containers compared to 70% in the keen gardener category. The
proportion of gardeners rinsing empty containers has increased across all categories since 2007 with the
exception of the „chore‟ category, where it has decreased from 54% to 48%.
Table 6.15: Rinsing of empty containers by attitude to gardening
Response
Total
Keen
gardener
Enjoy
gardening
Like garden
tidy
Gardening
a chore
Yes
67%
70%
64%
67%
48%
No
32%
30%
34%
30%
52%
N = 496
Figure 6.12: Rinsing of empty containers by attitude to gardening
80%
70%
% of respondents
60%
50%
Yes (2010)
40%
No (2010)
Yes (2007)
30%
No (2007)
20%
10%
0%
Keen gardener
Enjoy gardening
Like garden tidy
Gardening a chore
Attitude to gardening
Finally, the „gardening is a chore‟ category is the least likely to dispose of unused or unwanted pesticides
compared with all other categories.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
41
Table 6.16: Disposal of unused or unwanted pesticides by attitude to gardening
Response
Total
Keen
gardener
Enjoy
gardening
Like garden
tidy
Gardening
a chore
Yes
11%
11%
11%
13%
7%
No
Not
answered
88%
88%
89%
87%
93%
0%
1%
0%
1%
0%
N = 1050
In terms of the methods of disposal, there is much more variation in the way that pesticides are disposed of
amongst the „keener‟ gardening categories; this could well be a reflection of the number of people using and
therefore disposing of pesticides in the first place. For all categories, the most popular response was using a
HWRC. Keen gardeners were the least likely to put pesticides in the bin, and of the groups that included the
drain as a response, was the least likely to use this route.
Figure 6.13: Disposal of unwanted or unused pesticides by attitude to gardening
80%
70%
% of respondents
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Keen gardener
Enjoy gardening
Like garden tidy
Gardening a chore
Gardener category
Household waste and recycling centre/ tip/ civic amenity site
Bin
Drain
Local authority collection service
Spray onto waste ground
Sink
Toilet
Other
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
42
6.4 Product disposal
The number of respondents stating that they dispose of pesticides was 117, and a total of 125 answers were
provided (i.e. some respondents use more than one disposal method). The differences in disposal habits
across different age groups and gardener types have been addressed in the previous cross-tabulation
sections. This section addresses any relationships between ready-to-use and concentrated products and
disposal methods, and the clarity of product instructions and disposal methods.
Whilst 53% of the survey sample use ready-to-use products only, this was true of just 13% (3 respondents)
who dispose of products down the drain, but 61% (17 respondents) who dispose of them in the bin. In 2007,
users of concentrated products that require dilution were over-represented among those who dispose of
products down the drain; this is not so much the case in 2010.
It can be seen from Table 6.17 that a large proportion of those disposing of pesticides inappropriately down
the drain are users of products that require dilution before use. Disposal down the drain has decreased
slightly in both cases since 2007, with 22% of respondents (5 individuals) who only use products that require
dilution now disposing of them down the drain. Again, these figures should be treated with some caution due
to the very low sample size. More respondents using ready-to-use products than those using products that
require dilution dispose of their products by taking them to an HWRC.
Table 6.17: Use of ready-to-use products and products requiring dilution by disposal method
Disposal Method
Types of product used
Need
diluting only
Both
Ready-touse only
Drain
Sink
Toilet
Bin
Spray onto waste ground
Local authority collection service
Household waste and recycling centre/
tip/ civic amenity site
Other
Totals
3
5
15
23
13%
22%
65%
100%
0
3
1
4
0%
75%
25%
100%
0
2
1
3
0%
67%
33%
100%
17
4
7
28
61%
14%
25%
100%
1
1
4
6
17%
17%
67%
100%
3
2
4
9
33%
22%
44%
100%
23
5
17
45
51%
11%
38%
100%
4
1
0
5
80%
20%
0%
100%
There does not appear to be a relationship between “following of product instructions” and use of
inappropriate disposal methods. Of the 12 who do not or only sometimes follow product instructions, 7 cited
the use of HWRCs or a local authority collection service as their disposal route, and 5 cited the bin, drain or
„other‟ as their disposal route. Of those disposing of products down the drain, 96% said that they follow
product instructions.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
43
Table 6.18: Following instructions for use on pesticides by disposal method
Following product instructions
Disposal Method
Yes
No
Sometimes
Totals
22
0
1
23
96%
0%
4%
100%
4
0
0
4
100%
0%
0%
100%
3
0
0
3
100%
0%
0%
100%
25
1
2
28
89%
4%
7%
100%
6
0
0
6
100%
0%
0%
100%
7
0
2
9
78%
0%
22%
100%
40
2
3
45
89%
4%
7%
100%
4
0
1
5
80%
0%
20%
100%
Drain
Sink
Toilet
Bin
Spray onto waste ground
Local authority collection service
Household waste and recycling
centre/ tip/ civic amenity site
Other
Similarly, there is no strong relationship between whether a respondent perceives product instructions as
„clear‟ and whether they dispose of the product responsibly. Whilst 80% of respondents who found
instructions clear do dispose of products responsibly at the HWRC, 100% of the respondents who dispose of
products down the sink (4 respondents) and down the toilet (3 respondents) found instructions clear, as did
78% of those pouring products down the drain (18 respondents) and 86% (24 respondents) of those putting
them in the bin.
The proportion of people who find product instructions clear but dispose of products down the drain has
actually decreased from 97% in 2007 (28 individuals) to 78% in 2010 (18 individuals), suggesting that there
could be a relationship between clarity of instructions and disposal down the drain. However, in Glasgow,
where 41% of respondents said that they pour pesticides down the drain, 91% also said that they follow
product instructions and 94% said that they find instructions clear; in this case there is not a relationship
between disposal methods and use of instructions.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
44
Table 6.19: Perceived clarity of product instructions by disposal method
Perceived clarity of instructions
Disposal method
Yes (clear)
No (unclear)
18
3
2
23
78%
13%
9%
100%
4
0
0
4
100%
0%
0%
100%
3
0
0
3
100%
0%
0%
100%
24
2
2
28
86%
7%
7%
100%
5
1
0
6
83%
17%
0%
100%
Drain
Sink
Toilet
Bin
Spray onto waste ground
8
1
0
9
11%
0%
100%
36
4
5
45
80%
9%
11%
100%
3
0
2
5
60%
0%
40%
100%
Other
7.
Totals
89%
Local authority collection service
Household waste and recycling
centre/ tip/ civic amenity site
Not sure
Summary and discussion
Key survey findings in 2010 can be summarised as follows:
7.1



7.2


Respondent profile
The majority (50%) of respondents identified themselves as „keen and regular gardeners‟, with a
further 28% stating that they „enjoy gardening but don‟t always have the time for it‟. Only 4% saw
gardening as a chore.
99% of all respondents carry out their gardening at home, with small numbers also / instead
gardening at an allotment.
The sample was biased towards older age groups, with 80% of respondents being over the age of 45
and just 1% being 16-24.
Purchasing habits
The most frequently purchased products were weedkillers, slug pellets and lawn treatments. There
were differences in purchasing habits between different locations, for example with use of weedkillers
being highest in Glasgow, where use of slug pellets was lowest, and use of rat and mouse killers
being highest in Oxford and Chepstow. This could be explained by differences in climatic conditions
causing different prevalence of certain pests. The level of deprivation and urbanity of the surrounding
area could also be a contributing factor, with some areas being more rural with a higher proportion of
farms and large gardens, and others being dominated by small gardens, yards and patio areas.
The majority of respondents purchase an average of one or two products per year. There were some
differences in the number of products purchased per year between different locations; Chepstow and
Tunbridge Wells have the highest proportion of respondents buying less than one product per year,
and Chepstow and Preston have the highest proportion of respondents buying four or more products
per year.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
45


7.3






7.4


7.5


There was also some variation in the number of products purchased between different gardener
categories, with 6% of „keen and regular gardeners‟ purchasing one or less products per year,
compared to 18% of the „gardening is a chore‟ category.
80% of respondents said that they usually purchase pesticide products in a garden centre, 35%
stated a DIY store and 24% stated a supermarket.
Product usage
64% of respondents said that they usually read product instructions prior to buying a product, and
29% said they would read them before first use. Only 4% said that they rarely or never read product
instructions.
Younger users are more likely to read instructions before buying (75% of 16-25 year olds, compared
to 67% of 25-44 year olds, 66% of 45-64 year olds and 59% of 65+), although the youngest category
also has the highest proportion of respondents who would rarely or never read product instructions.
The „gardening is a chore‟ category is the most likely to not read product instructions before use;
differences between other categories are marginal.
92% of respondents said that they follow product instructions.
The most popular source of additional information is websites (14%), with top answers for sites used
being Google, the RHS site, and other gardening sites. This is perhaps still surprisingly low, given
today‟s widespread use of the internet for research purposes. Magazines (8%) were the second most
popular source of information.
Over half of all respondents only use ready-to-use products (53%). No respondents from the 16-24
age group stated that they buy concentrated products for dilution.
Of those who purchase products that require dilution:
o 91% of respondents stated that they use some sort of measuring device, whilst 8% estimate
or guess quantities for dilution. Older age groups are marginally more likely to use a
measuring device than younger age groups.
o 20% store products once they have been mixed up. Older age groups are again slightly more
likely to store mixed up products than younger ones.
o 67% rinse out empty containers after use, with 52% pouring the rinsings down the drain.
„Keen and regular‟ gardeners are the most likely to rinse empty containers.
Storage
The shed was the most popular storage location amongst respondents, with 60% storing their
pesticides here. A further 33% store pesticides in the garage. Only 4% of respondents cited some
form of safety precaution such as a high shelf or locked cupboard.
The largest proportion of respondents store pesticides for 1 to 2 years (44%), with a further 35%
storing the products for under a year. There was evidence of some hoarding behaviour, with 9%
storing products for 3 years or more, but this is not happening to a huge extent.
Disposal
The largest proportion (44%) of respondents dispose of their empty containers in their recycling
container. 38% dispose of the containers in their residual waste bin, and 21% take the containers to
at their local HWRC. This varied between locations, with recycling being favoured in Oxford, Preston
and Ipswich, and the bin being the most popular in Glasgow, Tunbridge Wells and Chepstow.
Just 11% of respondents stated that they dispose of unwanted or unused pesticides, suggesting that
the majority of products are used for their intended purpose. 38% dispose of these in a responsible
way by taking the product to their local HWRC. However, large numbers are not disposing of
pesticides appropriately, with 24% using their bin and 20% pouring them down the drain. Small
numbers were also using the sink or toilet.
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010
46





7.6
No one in the 16-24 age bracket said that they dispose of unwanted pesticides, although this age
group was represented by a very small sample size (1%). 13% of 45-64 age group said they do
dispose of unwanted pesticides, along with 10% in the 65 and over and 9% in the 25-44 group.
Disposal routes varied widely between locations, for example use of an HWRC varied from 9% in
Glasgow to 60% in Ipswich. This could be attributed to the coverage that the HWRCs provide in each
sample area, and the level of communications about where to take pesticides provided by local
authorities in the sample areas.
Many of those disposing of products using inappropriate methods are disposing of products that
require dilution before use. Whilst 53% of the survey sample use ready-to-use products only, this was
true of just 13% who dispose of products down the drain, but of 61% who dispose of them in the bin.
There appeared to be no relationship between perceptions and use of instructions and inappropriate
disposal methods; of those disposing of products down the drain, 96% claimed to follow product
instructions, and 78% said that they found instructions clear (although this latter figure is lower than
the 97% found in 2007).
This last finding indicates that respondents have claimed that they read and follow instructions when it
is not in fact the case. It also indicates that it is unlikely that people disposing of pesticides in
inappropriate ways are aware that they may be causing environmental damage. This is disappointing,
given the new labelling that has been in place since 2007 which now makes it mandatory for pesticide
products to state how products should be safely disposed of.
Comparison of significant findings
Table 7.1 below compares the most significant findings from the surveys in both 2007 and 2010, and
highlights the direction of change in responses found in this year‟s survey compared to 2007.
Table 7.1: Comparison of findings in 2007 and 2010
Question
2007 responses
2010 responses
Difference
()
Percentage of “keen and
regular gardeners”
53%
50%

Percentage respondents
over 45
81%
80%

Most frequently
purchased products
Slug pellets (67%)
Slug pellets (61%)

Weed killers (50%)
Weed killer (63%)

Lawn treatments (45%)
Lawn treatments (47%)

Most purchase one or two products:
One (32%)
Most purchase one or two products:
One (30%)

Two (27%)
Two (31%)

Considerable, e.g. in Tunbridge
Wells 8% purchased 4 or more
products per year, compared to 23%
in Preston
Similar to 2007, some slight
differences e.g. increase in
Tunbridge Wells to 14% who
purchase 4 or more products per
year, decrease in Preston to 20%
Number of products
purchased per year
Purchasing variation
between locations
One product or less
purchased per year by
gardener category


Keen and regular: 39%
Keen and regular: 35%

Gardening is a chore: 59%
Gardening is a chore: 38%

Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
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47
Question
2007 responses
2010 responses
Difference
()
Rarely or never read: 6%
Rarely or never read: 4%

Instructions are unclear: 3%
Instructions are unclear: 5%

Do not follow: 2%
Do not follow: 3%

Only sometimes follow: 6%
Only sometimes follow: 5%

Highest proportions of people
rarely/never reading instructions:
„chore‟ group 10%
Highest proportions of people
rarely/never reading instructions:
„chore‟ group 16%

Highest proportion saying
instructions are not clear: „chore‟
group 4%
Highest proportion saying
instructions are not clear: „chore‟
group 11%
Garden centre staff: 14%
Garden centre staff: 5%

Magazines: 13%
Magazines: 8%

Websites: 8%
Websites: 14%

TV: 8%
TV: 5%

47%
53%

Younger age groups more likely to
use these
Younger groups more likely to use
these
Keen and regular gardeners: 44%
Keen and regular gardeners: 50%

Percentage estimating
the amount of product to
be diluted
10%
8%

Likelihood becomes slightly lower
with ascending age
Likelihood becomes slightly lower
with ascending age
Percentage saving
products they have
already mixed
24%
20%
Likelihood much higher with
ascending age
Likelihood again much higher with
ascending ages
Percentage that rinse
empty containers
60%
67%

Those in the 65+ age group and
keen and regular gardener category
are most likely to rinse empty
containers: 66%
Again, those in the 65+ age group
and keen and regular gardener
category are most likely to rinse
empty containers: 74%

Down the drain: 50%
Drain: 52%

Waste ground: 24%
Waste ground: 24%
-
Sink: 7%
Sink: 10%

Toilet: 1%
Toilet: 1%
-
Not reading /
understanding
instructions
Attitude to instructions
between gardener type
Other sources of
instructions
Proportion only using
„ready-to-use‟ products
Where rinsings are
poured
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010


48
Question
2007 responses
2010 responses
Difference
()
Storage location
Shed: 60%
Shed: 60%
-
Garage: 31%
Garage: 33%

Home: 4%
Home: 5%

11% specify safety precautions
4% specify safety precautions

One season: 34%
One season: 35%

1-2 years: 50%
1-2 years: 44%

2-3 years: 10%
2-3 years:10%
-
3+ years: 6%
3+ years: 9%

Residual waste bin: 48%
Residual waste bin: 38%

Recycling container: 35%
Recycling container: 44%

Household Waste Recycling Centre:
18%
Household Waste Recycling Centre:
21%

Proportion of all
respondents that dispose
of unwanted pesticides
14%
11%

Percentage of
respondents disposing
of unwanted pesticides
Newport 6%
Chepstow 7%

Preston 12%
Preston 18%

Tunbridge Wells 13%
Tunbridge Wells 10%

Glasgow 15%
Glasgow 13%

Ipswich 15%
Ipswich 9%

Oxford 23%
Oxford 11%

HWRC: 32%
HWRC: 38%

Local authority collection: 3%
Local authority collection: 8%

Residual waste bin: 28%
Residual waste bin: 24%

Drain: 20%
Drain: 20%
-
Some variation between locations
Some variation between locations
Quite a large variation between
different locations, e.g. between
Glasgow and Oxford:
Again large variation between
locations and differences in the
same locations since 2007:
Glasgow – Drain:19%
Glasgow – Drain: 41%
Glasgow – Bin: 50%
Glasgow – Bin: 18%
Glasgow – HWRC: 15%
Glasgow – HWRC: 9%
Oxford – Drain: 15%
Oxford – Drain: 25%
Oxford – Bin: 21%
Oxford – Bin: 10%
Oxford – HWRC: 46%
Oxford – HWRC: 50%
Storage duration
Disposal of empty
containers
Method of disposal of
unwanted pesticides
Variation in disposal of
unwanted pesticides
between locations
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
September 2010






49
Question
2007 responses
2010 responses
Difference
()
With specific reference to respondents disposing of unwanted pesticides
Age groups
Highest number of respondents
(17%) were in 45-64 age group
Highest number of respondents
(13%) were in 45-64 age group

Gardener category
Greatest proportion of any group
disposing of pesticides was 19% in
„enjoy gardening – don‟t have time‟
Greatest proportion of any group
disposing of pesticides was 13% in
„like garden tidy‟

Ready-to-use and
concentrated products
17% of those disposing down the
drain use ready-to-use only
13% of those disposing down the
drain use ready-to-use only

29% of those putting products in the
bin use ready-to-use only
61% of those putting products in the
bin use ready-to-use only

38% of products disposed of down
the drain are concentrated
22% of products disposed of down
the drain are concentrated

Following product
instructions
93% of those disposing of products
down the drain follow product
instructions
96% of those disposing of products
down the drain follow product
instructions

Clarity of product
instructions
97% of those disposing of products
down the drain find instructions clear
78% of those disposing of products
down the drain find instructions clear

Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
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50
Appendix 1: Questionnaire
Pesticide User Habits Survey, May 2010
INTRODUCTION
Good morning/ afternoon
I‟m carrying out a survey on behalf of the Chemicals Regulation Directorate, a government body that
works to ensure the safe use of pesticides.
The survey will only take a few minutes, and there‟s a prize draw for garden centre vouchers which we
can enter you for if you would like. Would you be interested in taking part?
Additional information if required:

Prize draw first prize £100, plus 5 x runner-up prizes of £25

The survey information will be used by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate, part of the Health and
Safety Executive, to develop guidance for the public on safe use, storage and disposal of pesticides.

Length of survey depends on answers – 5 to 8 minutes
1. Do you use pesticides or garden chemicals in your garden? (prompt with examples if
required)
Yes
No
1
2
If YES, continue to Question 2
If NO, thank and close interview
Questions about you
2. Which of these descriptions best describes how you feel about gardening (single code):
I am a keen and regular gardener – gardening is an enjoyable hobby
1
I enjoy gardening but don‟t always have time for it
2
I like to keep the garden tidy, but wouldn‟t call it a hobby
3
Gardening is a chore
4
3. Where do you do your gardening?
Garden at home
1
Allotment
2
Other (please specify)
3
_________________
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4. Which of the following age brackets do you fall into?
16-24
1
25-44
2
45-64
3
65 and over
4
Purchasing
5. Which types of pesticides do you use? (multi code)
Animal repellents, eg cat/ dog
Patio cleaners
Insecticides
Rooting powder/gel/hormone
01
02
03
04
Rat and mouse killers
Weedkillers
05
06
Fly sprays and ant powder
07
Fungicide sprays
08
Lawn treatments
09
Products for algae and snail control 10
in
ponds
Slug pellets
11
Other (please
12
specify)_________________________
6. How many pesticide products do you purchase each year on average? (single code)
Less than 1 1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6 or more
7
7. Where do you usually buy your garden chemicals from? (multi code)
Garden centre
1
DIY store
2
Supermarket
3
Gardening club or allotment society
4
Other (please specify)____________________________ 5
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Use
8. When do you read the instructions for use on pesticides? (multi code)
Before buying
Before using for first time
Before using every time
Occasionally as a reminder
Rarely/ never
1
2
3
4
5
9. Do you generally find that instructions for use on pesticides are clear?
Yes
No
Not sure
1
2
3
10. Do you follow the instructions for use on pesticides?
Yes
No
Sometimes
1
2
3
11. What other places do you get information on how to use pesticides? (please specify
which if possible)
Multicode
Websites
01
Magazines
02
Leaflets
03
Books
04
TV
05
Radio
06
Gardening advice helpline
07
Product company helpline
08
Garden centre staff
09
Other gardeners
10
Other
11
Which?
12. Do you tend to use ready-to-use products or products that need diluting before use?
(single code)
Ready-to-use
1
Need diluting
2
Both
3
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[If using products that need diluting, continue to question 13. If only using ready-to-use
products, continue to question 14]
------------------------------------------------------------------------13a). How do you measure amounts of product when diluting?
Measuring device/cap provided with product
Estimate or guess
Other (please specify)____________________________
1
2
3
13b). Do you ever save products that you have mixed up?
Yes
1
No
2
13c) Do you rinse out pesticides containers before disposing of the empty container?
Yes
1
No
2
13d) If YES, what do you do with rinsings? [If NO continue to Q14]
Drain
1
Sink
2
Toilet
3
Put onto waste ground
4
Add to dilute product
5
Other (please specify)
6
__________________________________
Storage
14. Where do you store pesticides? (tick all that apply)
Shed
1
In the house
4
Garage
2
Locked cupboard/ container
5
Greenhouse
3
High shelf
6
Other (please
7
specify)_________________________
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15. How long do you store pesticides for on average before using them up or disposing of
them?
Less than 1 year
1
1 to 2 years
2
2 to 3 years
3
3 to 5 years
4
More than 5 years
5
Disposal
16. How do you dispose of empty pesticide containers?
Bin
1
Recycling box/bin/bag
2
Household waste and recycling centre/ tip/ civic amenity site
3
Other (please specify)
4
__________________________________
17. Do you ever dispose of unused or unwanted pesticides?
Yes
1
No
2
If YES, continue to Question 18
If NO, thank and close interview
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18. How do you dispose of unused or unwanted pesticides (unprompted)? (multi code)
Drain
1
Sink
2
Toilet
3
Bin
4
Spray onto waste ground
5
Local authority collection service
6
Household waste and recycling centre/ tip/ civic amenity site
7
Other (please specify)
8
__________________________________
CLOSE:
Thank you very much.
If you would like to enter the prize draw (First prize £100 garden centre vouchers, five runner-up prizes of
£25), please provide us with your contact details.
NB: Your details will ONLY be used to enter you in the prize draw.
Name:
Address:
Telephone number:
I have carried out the interview according to the instructions and as per the MRS code of conduct.
Interviewer Name:--------------------------------
Interviewer Signature:--------------------------------------
Date: --------------------------------------
Duration:------------------------------------
Pesticides user habits survey (PS2804 and RF1291)
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Appendix 2: Briefing sheet for User Habits Questionnaire
What are Pesticides?
'Pesticide' is a broad term, covering a range of products that are used to control pests. Pesticides you may
have heard of include:









ant powders
insect killers (insecticides)
mould and fungi killers (fungicides)
weedkillers (herbicides)
slug pellets (molluscicides)
plant growth regulators
bird and animal repellents, and
rat and mouse killers (rodenticides)
wood preservatives (e.g. for fence panels)
Often people only think of pesticides as chemicals, but they include a huge range of different types of
products. Some are natural (e.g. pyrethrums, obtained from chrysanthemums), while many are altered
versions of natural chemicals (e.g. fatty acids). These „natural‟ versions may be considered suitable for use by
organic gardeners.
Organic gardening
However, organic gardening involves a lot more that just avoiding the use of chemicals. Organic gardeners
focus their energy into increasing the natural health of their soil, choosing appropriate plant varieties, and
working with nature to produce a healthy and productive garden.
Ready to use / concentrate products
Liquid Ready-to-Use products are often sold in trigger spray bottles. Liquid concentrate products are usually
in plastic bottles with child proof screw caps that then need measuring out and diluting.
Granular products (e.g. some lawn treatments) are often ready to use as many can be bought in a container
that will dispense the product at a particular rate. Although larger bags can also be bought which can be
applied with a separate spreader.
Should I save pesticides that I have diluted?
No. You should try to avoid storing diluted pesticide by only mixing up or diluting the amount you need for a
specific job.
Should I rinse out pesticide containers before disposing of them? What should I do with the rinsings?
It is good practice to rinse out pesticide containers that have held concentrated product (i.e. requiring dilution
for use) before disposing of them. The container should be rinsed three times and the washings added to the
final spray solution. Trigger bottles (Ready-to-Use products) and other containers do not need to be rinsed.
Should I keep pesticides locked up?
Garden pesticides do not need to be kept locked away, although they should be kept out of the reach of
children and pets.
After you have used the pesticide, make sure that the packaging is tightly closed or sealed.
Take particular care to use and store slug pellets safely, so as to avoid accidentally poisoning any pets –
particularly dogs.
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How long should I store pesticides for before using them?
If you store it carefully, any remaining pesticide will be effective for some years to come. Check whether you
can still legally use it by visiting our Garden Pesticides Search
(https://secure.pesticides.gov.uk/garden/prodsearch.asp).
Garden sheds and greenhouses are not ideal for storing pesticides as they can get very hot in summer or
cold in winter. Pesticide products are best stored at an even temperature.
How should I dispose of empty pesticide containers?
First of all, check the label for advice.
Empty containers of Ready-to-Use products (e.g. trigger sprays) can be disposed of directly into your
household waste.
Empty bottles of concentrates (pesticides you dilute with water for use) need to be rinsed out three times first
and the washings added to the spray solution.
How should I dispose of unwanted pesticides?
Unwanted pesticides should be disposed of safely through your local amenity waste disposal site that accepts
hazardous household waste. All local councils should make arrangements for disposing of hazardous
household waste, so you should contact them for the nearest suitable site. Alternatively some councils offer a
collection service.
Pesticides (and other chemicals) are securely separated from other waste and disposed of safely later,
usually in special high temperature incinerators that destroy them completely.
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