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‘Green’ or environmentally friendly policies and programs are becoming more top of mind for U.S. consumers when making technology related purchase decisions, but few are aware of specific policies. New numbers show few technology purchasing consumers are aware of specific environmental policies and practices of technology firms, despite the efforts of companies and the accolades in the media. Technology firms don’t have particularly strong consumer ratings regarding green initiatives. A lot of work has been done to build and institute environmental policies and processes but the information still needs to reach consumers in terms they can relate to, according to new report by Ipsos Green.
While consumer awareness is low, tech companies are being praised for their environmental activities by others. A recent story from Newsweek released ratings of the top US Green companies, ranking Fortune 500 firms based on policies and programs put in place to lessen the overall environmental impacts of their business processes and product consumption. The Newsweek story examined the reputation of these firms among CEOs, academics, and environmental experts. Green ratings among this group were dominated by well known technology firms, and led by top computer manufactures HP and Dell, due in part to their leadership in reducing emissions, removing toxic substances and reduced energy consumption. This noted, U.S. consumer awareness of environmental policies and programs is still low for many companies. Approximately four in ten consumers did not associate any technology brand tested with having green or environmentally friendly business practices. However, there has been progress since 2007, when 55% did not associate any technology companies. Even Apple and Microsoft, the greenest rated consumer firms, were only associated with environmentally friendly business practices by fewer than one in four consumers. Even fewer are aware of specific policies of these firms.
Highlighting the lack of consumer awareness, only 7% of US consumers associated Intel with having environmentally friendly business practices or policies, though well known by environmental experts for policies of renewable energy, a focus on energy efficiency of their products, and reducing waste and use of toxic materials. The proportion of consumers who claim they investigated or considered the environmental aspects of their purchase remains low overall, with fewer than half saying they considered these issues in their most recent purchase. Consumers remain more inclined to consider the environmental impact when purchasing big ticket items, such as automobiles and large household appliances.
Technology purchase decision analysis shows that consumers are impacted most by environmental policies and features which claim to reduce energy consumption - and therefore the overall cost of use. Nearly three out of four consumers claim that devices that are ‘Energy Star' efficient, and devices that do not drain energy, would influence their purchase decisions. Additionally, environmental practices that would influence the consumer in the purchase decision include the following responses:
73% say an Energy Star rating would influence purchase
72% if the device doesn't drain energy when not in use
67% if the manufacturer/retailer includes a free recycling program
65% if the manufacturer uses environmentally safe materials
63% if the manufacturer recycled or disposed of the product
One in three consumers say they are willing to pay more for a green positioned product, so these perceptions can positively impact the bottom line for companies in the technology sector. Green has been a widely used buzz word over the past several years, and the technology industry is no exception. As consumers continue to value green initiatives and become more aware of the green programs technology companies have in place, manufacturers and retailers of tech products and services will have an opportunity to leverage green practices as a competitive advantage.
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