Survey finds we’re ‘bang average’ at going green
When I started Greenhorn, I wondered whether I was unusually rubbish at living sustainably.
It turns out I'm not.
I asked more than 100 people how they thought they were doing when it came to living more sustainably, and 61% rated themselves bang in the middle — doing a bit here and there, but hardly eco-warriors.
That actually made me feel better.
Because if most of us are somewhere in the middle, maybe the problem isn't that people don't care. Maybe it's that we don't quite know where to start, or we think we have to become one of those people who suddenly starts making their own toothpaste and living in a yurt.
The survey backed that up.
Seven in ten people said sustainable living isn't just for the eco diehards — it's something we should all have a crack at. Better still, half said they plan to do more over the next year.
That's exactly what Greenhorn is about.
It's my attempt to go from complete novice to... well... hopefully less useless. I'm not an environmental expert. I'm just an ordinary bloke trying to work out what difference one person can realistically make.
A few other findings really stood out.
Small steps feel achievable
People overwhelmingly felt the best way to start is by making small, everyday changes, although 41% admitted old habits are hard to break.
That was reassuring because, frankly, I'm not looking for a complete lifestyle overhaul either.
Money is both the problem... and the solution
A third of people said living sustainably is too expensive, and 59% said cost is the biggest barrier.
But here's the interesting bit: 64% also said saving money would motivate them to make greener choices.
It suggests sustainability doesn't have to be about spending more. Sometimes it's simply about spending differently.
We're not starting from zero
The survey also reminded me that we're already doing more than we often give ourselves credit for.
89% recycle.
71% avoid single-use plastics.
60% eat less meat.
We're not totally hapless.
Seeing someone else try matters
Perhaps my favourite finding was that 57% said they'd feel more confident starting their own sustainability journey if they saw other people making changes first.
That really hit home.
Because that's the whole point of Greenhorn.
I'm not trying to be an eco-influencer or pretend I've got it all figured out. I'm documenting what happens when someone fairly ordinary actually gives it a proper go — the good ideas, the bad ideas, the successes, the inevitable lapses, and hopefully a few useful lessons along the way.
If watching me muddle through encourages someone else to make one small change, then that's a win.
That's exactly what Episode Three is about.
I'll dig deeper into the survey results and start putting some of those small, everyday changes into practice to see which ones make a difference, which ones don't, and whether living more sustainably is really as difficult as we sometimes make it out to be.