End-of-Life Disposal Called Top Concern Of Consumers Weighing Green Purchase

When it comes to buying “green,” 81 percent of consumers want to see a symbol or certification and 80 percent want to see a message with specific data or outcomes, according to the “Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker.” Companies are making “great strides” in setting and achieving environmental goals, but if they aren’t communicating to consumers in a highly visible way, the messages may not get through, said Jonathan Yohannan, Cone Communications’ executive vice president of corporate responsibility. Cone is a public relations and marketing agency.

Nine in 10 consumers expect companies to address the complete environmental impact of a product’s lifecycle, including manufacturing, use and disposal, the study said. Waste is the greatest concern to consumers, with 42 percent of respondents saying they're most influenced by messaging related to environmental impacts of product disposal. Thirty-three percent were most influenced by messaging related to the environmental impact of using a product and a quarter of respondents were most influenced by messaging relating to the impact of manufacturing a product.

Consumers aren’t inclined to do their own homework on the environmental impacts of a company’s products, according to the report. It said 73 percent of respondents reported they want companies to provide more environmental information on the product packaging. Seven in 10 consumers want companies to do a better job helping them understand the environmental terms they use to talk about their products and services, it said.

More clarity is needed because more than half of consumers believe marketing terms such as “green” or “environmentally friendly” mean a product has a positive or neutral impact on the environment, the report said. A quarter of respondents interpreted the terms as meaning the product has a lighter impact on the environment than similar products.

Although 42 percent of respondents said they have been discouraged from buying green products because of a perceived higher cost, potential cash savings can drive purchases, the report said. Ninety percent of respondents said they are motivated to buy a product marketed as not hurting the environment because it will save them time or money in the long run. Social responsibility also drove purchases of products with an environmental message. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said they were inspired to buy products positioned as not environmentally hurtful because it’s healthier for themselves, their families or their communities, and 85 percent were motivated to preserve the environment for future generations. The online survey was conducted Feb. 23-27 by ORC International among a sample of 1,019 adults 18 years or older that’s meant to represent the demographics of the U.S. as a whole.