How 'green' are consumers?

Why would consumers go green? 'Cos they care about the environment? Why would they care? 'Cos they can afford to?

Or maybe it has nothing to do with how financially comfortable the consumer is. Take the US for example. A 2006 survey ( maybe things have changed since then), shows that that fifty-eight percent of the general USA population surveyed considers itself “Not Green Interested.” These self-proclaimed “non-green” individuals do not care about environmentally friendly practices, including recycling, corporate social responsibility, or natural and/or organic ingredients.

The study also reveals that while 2 out of 3 consumers cannot name a brand they consider to be Green, there are differences between perception and reality on what companies are Green. To consumers, a Green brand uses technology that is environmentally friendly and uses natural and organic ingredients in its products. Brands placing emphasis on supporting environmentally responsible organisations or donating money to environmental causes, however, did not receive recognition as being “Green.”

How's it in India? According to a global food packaging survey conducted by The Nielsen Company it was found that despite a growth in eco-friendly living, a shop’s environmental friendliness is the last consideration for Indian consumers (21 percent) in determining where to spend money, while Value for Money (65 percent) ranks as the number-one influencer of store choice.

Environmental Friendliness was the least important factor for consumers among others such as price, product quality, convenience and location, when determining where to shop for groceries. But 44 percent Indian consumers are willing to sacrifice packaging for hygiene if it’s environmentally harmful. 21 percent of Indian consumers as compared to 28 percent of world consumers, ranked environment-friendly stores, using recycle bags/package as the most important consideration for their grocery store choice. However, 65 percent of the Indian consumer as opposed to 85 percent of world consumer, considered Good Value for Money the number one influencer in their choice of store.