Who uses rain barrels?
The study found strong links between rain barrel adoption and both income and proximity to the distribution sites. Ando also said “Ideology seems to matter. People who voted for the Green Party in the 2006 gubernatorial election were more likely to purchase a rain barrel.” Ando explained that the study used a continuous variable for income. “So we can say that wealthier people are more likely to buy rain barrels. Propensity to buy a barrel increases with income but then it levels off.” Rain barrels were less widely purchased in areas of the city that have a high density of high-rise buildings. Ando attributes this to the fact that there isn’t a good place to install a rain barrel near a high rise and there aren’t private gardens near the buildings where residents could use the rain water that’s collected, reducing the private incentive to buy a barrel. Ando describes the use of rain barrels in economist’s terms as having a private good and a public good. “If you have a rain barrel, you
