ABSTRACT
It is increasingly recognized that environmental problems are not only the result of industrial activity in a few polluting facilities; they also stem from the millions of choices that people make in everyday life. The implementation of environmental policies therefore often requires ordinary people’s active involvement, and many existing and new environmental requirements (e.g. Agenda 21) are expressed in terms of household-related activities like recycling and actively choosing eco-labelled products and services. Still, the successful implementation of such policies also poses significant challenges for policy-makers. First, it is often claimed that citizens in, for instance, Europe and North America, commonly hold strong environmental attitudes and values, and people generally say they are willing to undertake a number of household-related activities that promote a sustainable environment. Still, these attitudes do not always translate into daily behaviour. Second, various types of policy instruments (e.g. information campaigns, fees, regulations and infrastructural measures) are used to achieve household compliance with environmental policies and intentions. For such policy tools to be effective and legitimate, however, politicians and practitioners need an increased understanding of how policy interplays with household values, attitudes and the constraints (in terms of time, money and knowledge) that they face in their daily lives.
