A national online survey, conducted for the second consecutive year on behalf of SCA Tissue (www.sca.com), has uncovered good news for businesses promoting green products or services – the majority of consumers are either buying the same or an increased amount of environmentally responsible products.
The second annual survey of more than 2,000 American adults 18 and older was conducted in late April by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Tork brand of SCA Tissue.
According to a news release issued by SCA, “The survey found that two-thirds (67 percent) of U.S. adults who consider themselves buyers of green products have retained their level of green purchases.”
Another 25 percent of respondents “have increased their green buying in light of the recent changes in the economy,” according to SCA Tissue, a Philadelphia-based division of Sweden’s Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget.
“The results of the two surveys indicate a true trend – that consumer interest in green is here to stay, regardless of region, age, gender or the country’s economic state,” says Mike Kapalko, SCA Tissue’s sustainability marketing manager.
Kapalko says the survey provides considerable insight to business owners and may offer guidance to enhance their business practices. Kapalko believes that additional opportunity exists for business owners who simply do a better job of communicating their environmentally responsible efforts.
“Past studies have shown that consumers who strive to lead green lifestyles are actively seeking out businesses with those shared values but may have a difficult time identifying those businesses,” says Kapalko. “One issue is that business owners aren’t communicating their green efforts in the places their consumers are looking. Some don’t offer visible third-party certifications for consumers to verify green claims. And according to the 2010 Tork Report (Healthy People, Healthy Planet), around 60 percent of businesses aren’t communicating green efforts at all. In many cases, simply providing detailed information could result in an improved reputation and an increase in sales.”
While previous studies have shown that most companies promote green efforts publicly via corporate websites, the 2010 Harris survey found that website promotion may be one of the least preferred ways for consumers to learn about corporate green initiatives.
Nearly 30 percent of respondents indicated that designations on menus or store shelves for greener choices are the best places for businesses or restaurants to communicate their commitment to being green, while just 9 percent look on a company’s website for an explanation of its green program or approach.
“This portion of the survey clearly shows that despite improvements in technology and more general reliability on technology today, consumers still prefer that information is made available at the point of purchase,” said Kapalko.
Survey results also revealed uncertainty about how to verify green claims such as “environmentally friendly” or “organic.” Asked the most reliable way to determine whether or not a green claim or statement is true, 28 percent say they are not sure, followed by 23 percent who say they would trust their own research, such as looking up information or trying of the product or service themselves. Kapalko suggests businesses clearly identify and back up any claims about their green products and services by providing credible sources to consumers in a clear, transparent and accessible way.
SCA is a global hygiene and paper company that produces personal-care products, tissue, packaging, publication papers and wood products. The company consumed 4 million metric tons of recovered fiber in its global operations in 2009. Its Tork brand offers products and services for use in away-from-home washrooms, health care, food service and industrial settings.