Awareness supports acceptance
Increasing general awareness of environmental issues could be a good place to start in driving understanding and acceptance of green products, considering nearly one half (46%) of U.S. homeowners admit not knowing much about environmental issues.
Among those respondents in the poll who claim to be knowledgeable on environmental issues, green acceptance appears to be significantly stronger:
- Only 58% agree that when a product is called green it is a marketing tactic vs. 70% of the population as a whole
- Only 36% of these respondents indicate that they would not be willing to pay more upfront for green building products vs. 44% of the population as a whole
Jon Eakes, one of television's longest-standing TV home improvement experts says homeowners can also help alleviate their skepticism with products advertised as green, by asking questions such as: what is the product's renewable content; what is the product's environmental impact when it is produced and what ongoing cost-savings can it deliver.
"Education will play an increasingly important role as more products advertised as green become available to homeowners and claims become potentially more confusing," says Eakes. "These products can make a valuable contribution to the health and efficiency of our homes and environment if we know how to evaluate them properly."
Men more cynical about green
The poll revealed some differences among respondents in terms of attitudes toward products advertised as green:
- Men (75%) are more likely than women (65%) to agree that when companies call a home building product green it is usually just a marketing tactic
- Men (49%) are more likely than women (39%) to indicate that they are not willing to pay more upfront for green building products despite claiming to know that green products are better for the environment and provide long-term payback
