2Sustain

The green consumer product market continues to evolve.

Today, store shelves are stocked with more eco-friendly products than ever before, and there’s increasing competition for marketshare. Plus, manufacturers are responding to a growing sophistication among consumers who want accurate brand information presented in a way that’s easy to understand.

But even so, recent survey results from Grail Research indicate that the recession has had a significant impact on consumer behavior in this market. For example, the new study shows that:

• Since 2009, the “dark green” consumer segment has grown slightly, but the total number of green consumers has declined.
• Four in ten (43 percent) of “light green” consumers reduced their use of green products or switched to conventional ones.
• The percentage of “non-green” consumers increased from 15 percent to 22 percent.
• Both green and non-green consumers alike cited price as the number one deterrent preventing them from buying green.
• While certifications matter, most US consumers are confused about how to interpret green credentials, and most don’t actively look for green information about the products they’re buying. Only 11 percent said they seek information about green products and practices on a regular basis.

Interestingly, Grail Research also found that companies are often perceived by consumers as green, even if they do not exclusively manufacture green products. For instance, here’s the 2011 list of the five companies that are top of mind for consumers when they think of a green company: (more…)

The EPA estimates that Americans generate almost 2.5 million tons of used electronics each year. But, are we throwing away equipment that’s in perfect working order?

New research from the UK suggests that in many cases, we are.

A recent study conducted by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) revealed that nearly one-quarter of the electrical and electronic equipment routinely thrown away by consumers could be reused. What’s more, the researchers found that there is the potential to generate significant resale value from the repair, refurbishment and open market resale of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

WRAP estimates that each year consumers in the UK take 348,000 tonnes of WEEE to recycling sites, while another 149,000 tonnes gather in bulky waste collections. WRAP’s research found that: (more…)

Asda, which operates more than 500 retail stores across the UK, announced earlier this month that it is on track to deliver customer savings adding up to £800 million (about $ 1.2 billion) by 2020, thanks to its commitment to sustainability initiatives.

The company has been working towards a variety of sustainability targets since 2005, when global parent Walmart announced its commitments to sustainable sourcing and reductions in energy use and waste.

Asda has already made considerable progress. The company has:

• saved more than £70m in 2010 alone by reducing waste and energy usage in its operations.
• reduced absolute carbon emissions by an industry leading 11.9 percent  –exceeding its target to achieve a 10 percent reduction by 2015.
• eliminated 149,000 tonnes of carbon from operations since 2007. (That’s the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road for a year.)
• eliminated 900 jumbo jets worth of packaging from its products.
• reduced energy use in stores equivalent to that used by over 55,000 homes every year.
• eliminated 17 million miles from its supply chain. (The company says that’s the same as going to the moon and back 38 times.)
• redirected all food waste and 96 percent operational waste from landfill through recycling programs, including diverting waste for energy.

In addition, over the past nine months, Asda has asked customers about their views on sustainability issues and what matters to them. Based on this research, the company concluded that: (more…)

Earlier this month, I wrote about recent research from Nielsen which showed that today’s consumers are more concerned about environmental issues such as pollution, water shortages, packaging waste and the use of pesticides than they are about climate change.

Now, a new report adds even more perspective, concluding that Americans now place a higher value on their own financial stability than on environmental responsibility.

For example, the 2011 Green Gauge US Report from GfK Roper Consulting found that: (more…)

Last week, I discussed how Nike and Puma have pledged to eliminate the release of all hazardous chemicals across their supply chains (and now adidas has made a similar commitment).

It’s too early to know what impact these new initiatives will have on manufacturing costs. But, if making sustainable apparel costs more and those costs are passed on to consumers, how will Nike, Puma and adidas customers react?  A new study from the University of Missouri offers some insights.

Gargi Bhaduri, a doctoral student, and Jung Ha-Brookshire, an assistant professor of textile and apparel management in the College of Human Environmental Sciences at the University of Missouri, surveyed apparel consumers to find out if they were willing to pay a premium for products made using sustainable and ethical methods.

They found that consumers would be willing to pay 15 to 20 percent more for “eco-friendly” products. However, they also found that consumers were also likely to remain skeptical about apparel companies’ claims of transparency and sustainability.

Consumer skepticism of corporate transparency stems from the suspicion that sustainability claims are falsified or exaggerated by apparel companies for use as marketing ploys. In other words, greenwashing persists as a significant, and nagging, problem. Before they buy sustainable apparel, savvy consumers feel the need for assurances such as: (more…)