According to a survey from a Massachusetts-based research group Grail Research, 86% of U.S. consumers have bought at least some green products. The survey found that that only 1% of those who previously purchased green products had abandoned that category.
But the researchers also found that only about 8% of consumers ranked as “dark green,” or those who chose to buy green products for the majority of their purchases.
Other findings from the survey of 611 consumers in June include:
- About two-thirds of consumers changed their green purchase behavior because of the recession, but nearly 80 percent of those who changed stuck with green products. Many opted for less expensive green products or reduced usage of green products.
- Price is the main reason consumers choose not to buy green products. The green product also has to be at least on par with its conventional counterpart to be considered.
- Green consumers tend to be married women with no children. Dark green consumers are likely to be older, more educated and more affluent than “light green” consumers, who buy only some green products.
- Recyclable product packaging is the only green feature considered important in multiple product categories.
- The top five companies consumers identified as green: Seventh Generation; General Electric; Toyota; Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.
- Both Hewlett Packard and Intel have launched green initiatives. But just more than two-thirds of consumers weren't aware of the companies being “green.”
