Green Matters: Are you a responsible consumer?

By J.C. Carroll

(NC)—When polled recently by Angus Reid, 93% of Canadian women and 85% of men said that they are becoming more conscious of the environment and are starting to look at, and buy products that are more environmentally friendly. Consumers, therefore, do intend to spend their money on environmentally conscious products, but only if additional benefits are evident.

Here are more findings by Angus Reid about Canadian action and attitude:

• 99% agree that manufacturers should try to do more for the environment
• 75% are concerned about the effects of regular soaps and laundry detergents on the environment
• 74% say they would be more likely to buy an environmentally friendly laundry detergent if it was the same price as regular detergents.

And perhaps this observation is most revealing, to which 60 percent of Canadians agree, and 40 percent disagree: "I know that I should do something about the environment but when it comes to making decisions in store, I seem to always stick to the regular brands, not the environmentally friendly ones."

"Acknowledging these reluctant buying habits gives some manufacturers great incentive," says Ed Zello at Purex, a name associated with one of Canada's leading brands. "Canadians know Purex will get their clothes clean—and it's priced right. We also know by polling, that Canadians don't want to have to pay more and get poorer cleaning power for the sake of buying an environmentally conscious brand. We want it all – clean clothes, a trusted brand name, great fragrances, available at our regular store, at no additional cost. It's a tall order, but that's what it takes.

"As a result, the Purex research and development scientists got to work to develop the biodegradable Natural Elements line. It's formulated with 100% naturally derived cleaning ingredients and natural fragrance extracts. Better still, it's reasonably priced, free of dyes, the packaging is recyclable, and its 2X concentrated formula means you use half the amount of any standard detergent calling for far less water, less waste, and less packaging."

So how do your shopping habits measure up? Check yourself:

I am a responsible consumer if I:

• Use fabric shopping bags, not plastic
• Scout the store shelf for a 'greener' line in the product I need
• Read labels to determine biodegradability
• Buy products that have the most responsible features
• Avoid plastic packaging unless it is biodegradable, or recyclable
• Buy local produce since it uses less energy to arrive at the market
• Ask my retailer to stock more green products

- News Canada