82 Percent of Consumers Buying Green Despite Battered Economy
Four out of five people say they are still buying green products and services today-which
sometimes cost more-even in the midst of a U.S. recession.
A study commissioned by Green Seal and EnviroMedia Social Marketing and conducted by Opinion
Research Corporation reveals peoples' opinions and behaviors about products that claim to be environmentally
friendly.
Half of the 1,000 people surveyed say they are buying just as many green products now as before the economic
downturn, while 19 percent say they are buying more green products. Fourteen percent say they are buying fewer
environmentally green products.
2009 National Green Buying Research
Other key findings in the new research conducted by telephone in a random-digit-dial sample:
Brand Reputation Matters More Than Ads
- Twenty-one percent (21%) of consumers say a product's reputation is the biggest factor they weigh when
making purchasing decisions followed by word of mouth (19%) and brand loyalty (15%). Just 9 percent say
green advertising is their primary influencer.
More "Green Claims" Education Needed
- About one in three consumers say they don't know how to tell if green product claims are true.
- One in 10 consumers blindly trusts green product claims.
- Consumers are verifying green claims by reading the packaging (24%) and turning to research (going
online, reading studies; 17%).
What Consumers Say Versus Do
- While 87 percent of people surveyed say they recycle, the Environmental Protection Agency reports just
33 percent of our waste is diverted from landfills.
- The other things people do are look for minimally packaged goods (60%), buy green cleaning products,
(58%) and buy green personal-care products (31%).
 
|