EXPLORING THEECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS

OF TINY HOMEDOWNSIZERS

Nine interviews were conducted to create an inventory of 100+ behaviors

that changed after downsizing to a tiny home. These are the most

common behaviors

PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIORS

average percentage of renewable energy in tiny homes

(compared to 2% in previous homes)

37%

A LOOK AT THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS...

volunteered to participate in a research study to measure their previous ecological footprints

in prior housing and their current ecological footprints after living in a tiny home for a year or more.

80 TINY HOME DOWNSIZERS

CURRENT FOOTPRINT AVERAGE

3.87 gha*IN TINY HOME

PREVIOUS FOOTPRINT AVERAGE

7.01 gha*IN PRIOR HOUSING

MobileTiny Homes

Semi-PermanentTiny Homes

PermanentTiny Homes TOP REASONS TO DOWNSIZE

Financial reasonsSeeking a simpler life

Environmental reasonsWanted mobility/ability to travel

Seeking a drastic change in lifestyle

~366 MILLION ACRESWORTH OF RESOURCES

could be saved if 10% of Americans lived in a tiny home

FOR MORE INFORMATION,PLEASE CONTACTMaria Saxton, Ph.D. maria.saxton@vt.edu(Published July 2019) Purchased

items intentionally

Conserved water & used a compost toilet

Less housing upkeep &

maintenance

Used solar power & reduced

energy usage

77%Females

23%Males

43% 43% 14%

All 80 study participants experienced lower ecological footprints after downsizing to a tiny home.

All �ve ecological footprint components values (housing, food, transportation, goods, and services)

were reduced on average.49% Working Full-Time

19% Working Part-Time

14% Retired

18% Other

$20,000 - $29,000:

most common

annual income

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-7445-5445-54

2% 30% 20% 9% 33% 6%

AGES

85% OF TINY HOMES considered to have

“e�ency- centered design” or were “above average” in terms of energy e�ciency

2 years 10 monthsaverage length of time spent living in tiny home at

the time of this study80% of tiny homes

had running water

20% of tiny homes had no running water

Reduction of car, motorcycle, bus, and train

traveling distances Reduction of airplane

travel More e�cient fuel

economies of vehicles

TRANSPORTATION

Decrease in meat consumption across all categories

Increase in consumption of local,

unpackaged, and self-produced food

items

FOOD

Approximately a 15% increase

in recycling Most study

participants said they generate “much less”

trash than their neighbors

RECYCLING

Over 50% of study participants

shared that their purchasing habits are

“minimal” or “nonexistent” while

living in their tiny home

PURCHASING

*gha = global hectare, equalling 10,000 square meters or 2.471 acreas

AN AVERAGE REDUCTION OF 3.14 GHA OR 45%

1,620 square feet

-average size of previous home-

233 square feet

-average tiny home size-

GENERAL TRENDS

HERE ARE THEIR RESULTS!