photo credit: thingermejig

In my discussions over the years with clients, one question seems to pop up more than any other: Are Americans willing to pay more for environmentally-friendly products?

For the segment of the population that is most affluent, most educated and most eco-conscious, the answer has always been – yes.

Now, a survey conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, shows that an ever increasing number of Americans are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products.

“Many American consumers, even in the face of economic uncertainty, express a willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly products,” said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of Yale Project on Climate Change.

Half of the respondents to the survey said they would “definitely” or “probably” pay 15% more for eco-friendly clothes detergent (51%) or for an automobile (50%). Forty percent said they would spend 15% more on “green” computer printer paper and 39 percent would do the same for “green” wood furniture.

What has been most surprising in this study is the fact that Americans who said their current financial situation is “fair” or “poor” were just as willing to spend 15% more on such environmentally-friendly products as detergent or wood furniture as those Americans more confident of their current financial situation.

As the green movement continues to grow, this survey should make it clear to industries across the board that green products will continue to increase in demand. Whether you are a manufacturer, small family business or service provider, it is important to increase the development or repackaging of your products as environmentally friendly.

As green becomes the norm, and probably the cost of entry for most products within the next 3 to 5 years, those firms that get a jump start on their competitors will have the best chance of capitalizing on this premium price differentiation. After that time frame, the green premium will most likely disappear and companies will have to look for the next marketing edge.

In the meantime, go green. It makes economic sense.

Robert Piller is President of EcoMarketing Solutions LLC, a company that helps businesses promote themselves to their customers and prospects using environmentally-friendly promotional products that won’t end up in a landfill. You can reach his blog at http://greenspotblog.com or reach him at robert@ecomarketingsolutions.com Robert Piller is also a guest speaker and free lance writer on green marketing issues.

photo credit: The Blue Shoe Project

There is a new workforce brewing as we move into the green business movement with many challenges between employees and employers.

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) set out to gauge earlier this year, in 2008 “how leading companies approach internal employee education and engagement.” As part of a larger study on corporate environmental and sustainability education it surveyed more than 1,300 people.

Now the numbers may be skewed because the respondents came from a largely environmentally minded audience. The study found that 51% of small company respondents and about 30% of medium and large corporations engage in offering advanced or very advanced environment and sustainability education.

It is also interesting to find that 65% of them value job candidates’ environmental and sustainability knowledge, with 78% saying this knowledge will become a larger hiring factor within the next five years. Companies with no environmental education programs believe they will be beginning them in two years.

So, should the employee bring environmental and sustainability opportunities to the company, especially those who are practicing green-minded activities in their personal lives? Or, should it be the sole responsibility of the company to create programs, identify the tasks and educate their employees.

Perhaps it is both and has the opportunity to allow for employee ingenuity. Employees can be encouraged to heighten a company’s environmental performance, particularly when this engagement has the possibility of building and maintaining a profitable company with long-term employment security.

To bring about a culture where environmental and sustainable values are part of our everyday living means that companies and employees need to build a seamless path from their personal lives to the workplace.

It is very discouraging to practice recycling at home and feel the waste pile up around you at your desk knowing it will fill another dumpster. Purchase greener goods and services and see your company leave the lights, computers and other machines burning 24/7.

The disconnect a company feels when the employees lack of environmental awareness and personal habits thwart the building of green ethics is frustrating and squanders opportunities for both sides to bring job ideas and inspiration to create a greener, sustainable and more profitable company.

Empowering employees to identify opportunities to cut waste and improve their company’s environmental performance allows them to step up to the task and companies can benefit by having employees who are educated and engaged. It can be a win-win for both.

Tana Dean is an ecopreneur, author and speaker. Her book, Your Money, Your Power: 10 Ideas for Mindful Spending to Create a Healthy Green Planet empowers us to create a more healthy, peaceful planet using our daily financial decisions and actions. She designed and developed her internet eco business TanaDean.com focusing on Abundant Lifestyle, Green Living and Healthy Body. The website includes articles, her book, personally selected products (books, CDs, DVDs and Certified Organic Personal Care) and website resources for education and personal growth. Her personal and business mission is to help Create Abundance, and a more Peaceful, Green Planet, One Person at a time. She is a Reiki Master in the Usui Shiki Ryoho tradition.