Environmental movement playing an increasingly important role in decisions
ranging from product purchases to the selection of political candidates
PHILADELPHIA, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The results of a newly released
survey commissioned by SCA and conducted by Harris Interactive(R) show that
while the Federal Reserve is reporting that consumer spending has fallen in
many categories due to a weakened U.S. economy and budget tightening,
Americans are still willing to pay more for green products and services.
The survey also indicates that 51% of adults polled agree that a
politician's position on environmental issues is an important consideration
in their voting decisions.
The survey is the first in a series of green and sustainability
consumer polls planned by SCA, a global leader in personal hygiene
products, who was recently ranked as one of the greenest companies in the
world. In the U.S. SCA, under the Tork brand name, produces tissue products
including half the paper napkins used in U.S. restaurants, from 100%
recycled paper. Under the TENA line, SCA produces the innovative TENA
Serenity incontinence care products.
"This study demonstrates that American consumers' interests in going
green are more than just lip service or a passing inclination," said Thomas
Wulkan, President of SCA Americas. "Consumers have recognized the
challenges of global warming and are now ready to take individual
responsibility to help reverse the negative trend. As the world's second
greenest company, sustainability is an integral part of our corporate
culture and it's clear that it is becoming a top priority in households
throughout America."
The study was conducted via a six-question online omnibus poll
interviewing a nationwide sample of U.S. adults aged 18 years and over.
Data was weighted to generate a representative sample of the total U.S.
adult population. Key survey findings include the following:
Americans Willing to Spend Money to Go Green
Overall, 47% of U.S. adults agreed they would be willing to pay more
for environmentally-friendly products. Specifically:
-- 64% of those surveyed said they would be willing to pay more for a
hybrid car
-- 63% indicated they would spend more for organic, fair trade, or locally
sourced food
-- 62% said they would dig deeper into their wallets for green/organic
cleaning supplies
-- 57% of those surveyed said they would pay the additional costs for
products made from recycled materials
What's more, the respondents said they were willing to spend an average
of 17% to 19% percent more for each of these green products.
The Green Influence in Politics and Business
The environmental movement is having a profound impact on consumer
perceptions related to politics and business:
-- 51% of all U.S. adults surveyed agreed that a politician's position on
environmental issues is an important part of their voting decision
-- 48% of all U.S. adults surveyed agreed that they make an effort to
support businesses that use "green " products and/or environmentally
friendly practices
Women feel more strongly about the above issues then men -- 56% of
women agreed that a politician's position on the environment was likely to
impact their voting decision versus 46% of males. Similarly, females (52%)
were more likely to strongly/somewhat agree that they make an effort to
support that use green products and/or environmentally-friendly practices
than the males surveyed (44%).
Environmentally-Friendly Lifestyle Changes
Most U.S. adults indicated they are willing to consider making
lifestyle changes to support environmentally-friendly initiatives. The Poll
found:
-- Almost all of those surveyed (97%) indicated they already recycle or
are willing to consider recycling (52% already do; 45 % are willing to
consider)
-- 96% already do/are at least somewhat willing to consider buying
materials made from recycled components
-- 95% already do/are at least somewhat willing to consider using "green"
materials in home/home improvement/construction projects
-- 87% already do/are at least somewhat willing to consider paying for
"green" energy (e.g., solar/wind power)
-- 85% already have/are at least somewhat willing to considering the
purchase of a hybrid car
While consumers are in the early adoption phases of these lifestyle
changes in many cases, their openness to these concepts is encouraging and
SCA looks forward to following emerging behavioral trends in these
categories in subsequent polls.
Additional Survey Findings:
U.S. Consumers' Growing "Environmental I.Q."
The consumer knowledge base around the attributes that make products
and services green or environmentally-friendly is surprisingly high. For
example:
-- The top three ways U.S. adults determine if products or services are
green or environmentally friendly are by: the ingredients listed on the
product (52%), a third-party seal of approval/certification (50%), or a
statement on the product indicating it is natural or organic (46%).
-- The top four characteristics they believe make a product green or
environmentally friendly are: biodegradable (81%), reusable/recyclable
(81%), percent of recycled materials used to make the product (66 %) or
organic (60%).
-- Finally, they even have an understanding of the elements necessary to
create a "green restroom:"
energy-efficient light fixtures (85%), low-flow toilets (79%), toilet
paper/tissue made of recycled materials (78%), hands-free water
faucets/soap dispensers with sensors (67%) and hands-free towel
dispensers with sensors (48%).
Methodology
Harris Interactive(R) fielded the study on behalf of SCA from April
10-14, 2008, via its QuickQuery(SM) online omnibus service, interviewing a
nationwide sample of 2,511 U.S. adults aged 18 and over. Data were weighted
to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of
region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and
propensity to be online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be
calculated; a full methodology is available on request.
About SCA and SCA Americas
Employing more than 8,000 people in 30 locations, SCA personal hygiene
products is a part of SCA, a $18-billion global consumer goods and paper
company producing tissue, packaging solutions, publication papers and
solid- wood products. With its U.S. headquarters in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, SCA, under the Tork brand name produces tissue products
including half the paper napkins used in U.S. restaurants, and manufactures
the innovative line of TENA Serenity incontinence care products. SCA is
also the sole supplier of sanitary paper products for The Philadelphia
Eagles stadium.
SCA has been ranked as the second most environmentally-friendly company
in the world by The Independent, a major British newspaper, in conjunction
with Ethical Investment Research Services (EIRIS), a leading non-profit
provider of independent research into the social, environmental and ethical
performance of more than 2,800 companies worldwide. SCA was the only paper
manufacturer included in the top rankings. Rankings were based on a wide
range of objective criteria, including business practices, environmental
improvement initiatives, use of renewable energies and materials, and waste
reduction and management.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a
long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and
technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris
Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European
and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For
more information, please visit http://www.harrisinteractive.com.
Note to Media: Complete survey report available upon request.
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