April 23, 2013
A new poll conducted by Harris Interactive has found that only seven percent of the nation’s adults would be willing to pay a lot more for products and services identified as ecologically beneficial or “green.” Only 30 percent would be willing to pay just slightly more.
According to Mike de Vere, president of Harris Interactive, “while Americans are showing more concern for the environment, they aren’t necessarily willing to pay more to do anything about it.” In addition, de Vere said many people “are wary of the ‘greenwashing’ concept that gives companies a chance to cash in on consumers who want to help the planet, but are confused by all the eco-friendly jargon.”
The poll also revealed that most adults in the U.S. reject the term “environmentalist” as a description of themselves.
Sixty-one percent of the people sampled in March 2013 reported that the term only applied somewhat well or not at all. Only 18 percent completely agreed with the following statement: “I am an environmentalist.”
A summary of the poll is posted at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/.