Lately I’ve been looking into the demographics of the green marketplace, and the results are pretty interesting. I thought I’d share them here with you.

Most ’green’ consumers tend to be:

• early adopters (i.e. they are the first to try new things)
• between 25 and 45 in age
• more likely to be female than male
• well educated
• financially secure
• self-empowered
• solution-based
• information junkies - they read, watch and listen to more media than any other group
• willing to pay 20% more for a similar product that is produced in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.

At the same time, most green consumers want their environmentally-friendly choices to be easy, without having to make any major changes to their lifestyle.

They also tend to distrust most companies’ environmental claims, unless they have been independently verified. However, they don’t necessarily expect companies to be perfect if a business is making significant steps towards environmentally-friendly operations, that can be enough.

There are also sub-divisions within the green market, based on people’s motivations for wanting to live green lifestyles:

• People who are passionate about the planet focus on recycling, using environmentally-friendly products, and choosing alternative construction materials. They avoid over-packaged products and boycott tropical hardwoods.
• Those who are more health-conscious tend to think in terms of choosing foods that are free of additives and preservatives, avoiding environmental toxins and preventing excess sun exposure. They buy organic foods and natural health and beauty products.
• Animal lovers look for products that are cruelty-free. They work to protect animal rights, and boycott things like tuna and fur. They are likely to be vegetarians.

There are a lot of environmental buzzwords, from “recyclable,” “biodegradable,” and “environmentally friendly” to “sustainable,” “compostable,” and “cruelty-free”.  Most green consumers read labels, and want to know that their product choices are living up to their environmental expectations.