Sustainable Urban Landscaping: Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Turfgrass Fertilizers

Abstract

Residential lawns provide diverse benefits, including social (e.g., enhancing humans' physical and psychological well-being), economic (e.g., increasing real estate values), and environmental (e.g., supporting local ecosystems) benefits. However, improper lawn fertilizer applications can cause adverse environmental consequences, such as excessive chemical runoff into adjoining watersheds leading to water contamination. Currently, the importance of eco-friendly fertilizers to homeowners has not been assessed. This study uses a discrete choice experiment to test whether eco-friendly fertilizer attributes influence homeowners' preferences for sustainable landscape management. The findings show that eco-friendly fertilizer attributes positively influence homeowners' preferences and willingness to pay, supporting the premise that the promotion of eco-friendly fertilizer features could improve local ecosystems through increased adaptation. Furthermore, this study tests whether certain fertilizer attributes influence homeowners' preferences in states with and without fertilizer restrictions. Since the regulatory environment affects homeowners' preferences for sustainable landscaping, this study compares the results between regulated and unregulated states. The findings reveal that homeowners are more likely to use and are willing to pay higher premiums for sustainable fertilizers in states with residential fertilization regulations. This suggests that with strict fertilizer ordinances, homeowners are more geared toward eco-friendly landscaping options and that related educational programs should be made available.