The Majority of Consumers Turn Green

A high percentage of U.S. consumers are expected to convert to eco-friendly products across many industries, including 74% in health and beauty and 59% in apparel, according to a report by consultancy group Grail Research.

However, the report, called “The Green Revolution,” concludes price is the main reason why some consumers consider not buying green products, followed by a lack of many choices and that they are not easily available.

For health and beauty, the most important factors are that the product is natural and not tested on animals—never mind that confusion abounds over the term natural and that most marketers no longer test products on animals. For apparel, the most important feature for driving purchases of green goods, said the report, was the manufacturing of the product caused minimal harmful emissions and the packaging is made of recyclable material.

The report, which polled shopper preferences across the U.S. this summer, found the vast majority of American consumers have bought green products, but only 9% said they chose to buy eco-friendly goods for most of their purchases.

The primary sources of information about green products and companies for consumers, according to the survey, were product labels, followed by word of mouth, TV advertisements, print media and websites.

The study found that, when respondents were asked about the first thing that comes to their minds when they think of green products, 83%said “made of recyclable material,” 77% said “energy-efficient uses,” 71% said “made of natural ingredients,” 61% said “nontoxicity” and “reduced greenhouse gas emissions,” and 47% said “green certifications.”