SCA survey shows that despite weakened US economy, decision makers are willing to spend green to go green - and they know what to look for!
The results of a newly released survey commissioned by Tork manufacturer SCA, show that while the US is suffering from a weakened economy and budget tightening, Americans are still willing to pay more for green products and services.
Overall, 47% of US adults agreed they would be willing to pay more for environmentally-friendly products. Specifically:
* 62% said they would dig deeper into their wallets for green/organic cleaning supplies
* 57% of those surveyed said they would pay the additional costs for products made from recycled materials
What's more, the respondents said they were willing to spend an average of 17% to 19% percent more for each of these green products.
The environmental movement is also having a profound impact on consumer perceptions related to business, with 48% of all US adults surveyed agreeing that they make an effort to support businesses that use green products and/or environmentally friendly practices. Furthermore, the consumer knowledge base around the attributes that make products and services green or environmentally-friendly is surprisingly high. For example:
The top three ways US adults determine if products or services are green or environmentally friendly are by:
* The ingredients listed on the product (52%), a third-party seal of approval/certification (50%), or a statement on the product indicating it is natural or organic (46%).
* The top four characteristics they believe make a product green or environmentally friendly are: biodegradable (81%), reusable/recyclable (81%), percent of recycled materials used to make the product (66 %) or organic (60%).
* Finally, they even have an understanding of the elements necessary tocreate a 'green washroom': energy-efficient light fixtures (85%), low-flow toilets (79%), toilet paper/tissue made of recycled materials (78%), hands-free water faucets/soap dispensers with sensors (67%) and hands-free towel dispensers with sensors (48%).
1st May 2008