LEGEND

+ Alachua County’s statistics* are better than national/international statistics.

– Alachua County’s statistics* are worse than national/international statistics.

= Alachua County’s statistics* are about the same as national/international statistics.

*Based on a poll of our readers

Q. Do you recycle pizza boxes?

+ A. About 41 percent of respondents said that they did recycle pizza boxes, compared to a survey by IPSOS in which 77 percent of respondents said that they recycled pizza boxes. Pizza boxes actually should not be recycled. The grease from the pizza often soils the box, which can contaminate the paper fibers in the pulping process.

Q. How do you get to work?

= A. Respondents said:

Drive alone: 70 percent

Carpool: 12 percent

Work from home: 18 percent

According to the American Community Survey, Americans:

Drive alone: 76.5 percent

Carpool: 9.2 percent

Public transportation: 5.2 percent

Work from home: 4.5 percent

Walk: 2.7 percent

Ride a bike: less than 1 percent

Q. Have you purchased at least one LED light bulb in your lifetime?

+ A. All of the respondents said that they had purchased an LED light bulb in their lives. According to the 2016 Sylvania Socket Survey, 70 percent of respondents have purchased an LED light bulb. These numbers have increased since the phasing out of incandescent bulbs.

Q. Do you recycle aluminum cans?

+ A. About 88 percent of respondents said that they did recycle aluminum cans.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 55.1 percent of aluminum cans were recycled in 2014.

Q. Do you have a photovoltaic cell on your roof to utilize solar energy?

= A. None of the respondents said that they had a PV cell on their roof to make use of solar energy. According to Business Insider, over 1 million homes had solar installations in 2016, which is about .8 percent of households in America.

Q. Do you grow your own produce in a home or community garden?

– A. About 18 percent of respondents grow their own produce. According to the National Gardening Association Special Report, in 2013, 35 percent of US households participated in food gardening.

Q. Do you use a reusable water bottle?

+ A. About 94 percent of respondents said that they did use a reusable water bottle. According to a 2012 survey from EcoFocus Worldwide, 59 percent of respondents use a reusable water bottle.

Q. Do you recycle cardboard boxes?

– A. About 82 percent of respondents said that they did recycle cardboard boxes. According to a report produced by the Environmental Protection Agency, 89.5 percent of cardboard boxes were recycled in 2014.

Q. Do you compost food/yard waste?

+ A. About 65 percent of respondents said that they did not compost food and/ or yard waste. According to a survey from the National Waste & Recycling Association in 2014, 72 percent of Americans do not compost.