Ninety-four percent of U.S. homeowners would like to see universal standards for green products and only eight percent usually accept unsubstantiated green product claims to be true, according to a survey by Ipsos Public Affairs for Icynene(R).

The survey found that, while 77 percent of homeowners consider the green merits of products when making purchase decisions, only seven percent look at green or environmental qualities alone. The findings suggest that a company's environmental track record might mean more to homeowners than green product qualities when choosing and recommending products:

- 69 percent of homeowners agree they would buy a competing product from a company they believe to be more green

- 64 percent of homeowners agree they'd always consider buying from a green company first

- nearly half of homeowners (43 percent) agree they'd recommend to someone else not to buy products from a non-green company

- 36 percent agree they would not buy products from a company they consider not to be green

"Homeowners clearly want standards for green products so that they can feel more confident they will deliver on their green promises," says Sean Simpson, Research Manager for Ipsos Public Affairs, "but they also seem to be rewarding or penalizing companies for their environmental performance."

Show me the green

In addition to backing up their environmental promises with performance, companies who market green products would do well if they prove product benefits rather than rely on green promises or names. The survey found homeowners are far more likely to be convinced that a product is truly green by proof of its content than by its name or packaging:

- More than eight in ten homeowners agree they'd be convinced a product was truly green if it was made from renewable resources

- Three-quarters of homeowners agree they'd be convinced a product was truly green if they knew it was climate-friendly and did not produce any greenhouse gases

- Fewer than half (42 percent) of homeowners agree that if 'eco' or 'green' was in the product name it would convince them a product was truly green and only 41 percent agree that green packaging or labels would convince them

Differences by gender and region

The Icynene/Ipsos Public Affairs poll found women are more receptive to green product names than men and respondents in the Northeast are more likely than those in the Midwest to reward or penalize companies for their environmental track record:

- Women (47 percent) are far more likely than men (35 percent) to agree that having 'eco' or 'green' in a product name would convince them that it is truly green

- Men (27 percent) are more likely than women (19 percent) to agree that how green a product or material is has absolutely no impact on their purchase decisions

- Respondents in the Northeast (73 percent) are the most likely and those in the Midwest (56 percent) the least likely to agree that they would always consider buying products from a green company first

- Respondents in the Northeast (41 percent) are the most likely and those in the Midwest (28 percent) least likely to agree that they would not buy products from a non-green company