Unclear product labeling prevents many consumers from buying affordable, energy-efficient electronics, and companies making "greener" goods aren't getting proper credit, according to a report released Monday.
High-definition televisions, desktop computers, laptops, and printers are among the electronics that online-survey respondents seek the most for green qualities. Green cred is less of an issue, in their eyes, for GPS devices, digital cameras, and other small, low-power devices.
More than half of those polled said their lack of awareness interferes with buying gadgets that consume modest amounts of energy, use recycled packaging and low-toxic materials, and offer recycling options. Forty-five percent named price as the biggest turn-off to purchasing such products.
Market researchers Strategic Oxygen and Cohn & Wolfe conducted the GreenFactor survey of 10,000 people in a dozen nations. They are encouraging electronics vendors to communicate on product labels and Web sites how energy-efficient products can save shoppers money over time. Such a strategy can also help prevent accusations of corporate greenwashing.
Fifty-seven percent of those polled said they won't pay more for greener gadgets. Only 15 percent will accept a price premium. However, an age gap appeared as more than half of respondents aged 25 to 34, versus only 23 percent of those 65 or older, said they will pay more for eco-friendly tech.
Consumers may be giving more green credit to some brands than they deserve, according to a report.
(Credit: GreenFactor)The few third-party labels that appear on store shelves include Energy Star, for electronics that hog less electricity than most. It's run by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency.
The nonprofit-run EPEAT label is gaining in popularity to mark computers and monitors with efficient energy use and more sustainable designs, but it's used largely in government purchasing and by online merchants.
Green labels from manufacturers include Canon's Generation Green and HP's Eco Highlights, for printers.
Still, the companies making the most green progress aren't getting recognition from consumers, according to the GreenFactor report. Americans surveyed identified Dell and Apple, followed by HP and Microsoft, as the brands with the greenest credentials. NEC, Hitachi, and Nintendo ranked near the bottom among 27 companies.
Those perceptions didn't match up with the ratings of 18 green electronics brands by Greenpeace. Samsung and Nokia, for example, ranked poorly in the GreenFactor survey but were rated among the top five brands by the environmental watchdog group.
The GreenFactor results varied by region. For instance, people polled in Japan said they considered local names Panasonic, Sharp, and Sony the greenest.
Click on this image for an image gallery of independent, green product labels.
(Credit: Jeremy Faludi)With so many "green" options appearing on everyday products, navigating the marketplace can be tricky if you're attempting to green your life.
Home Depot stamps efficient lightbulbs, low-toxic paints, and other goods as "Eco Options." SC Johnson sells Windex certified by Greenlist, the company's internal effort to reduce toxicants in its product line. Canon labels printers as "Generation Green."
Environmentalists may applaud corporate efforts to sell fewer polluting and poisonous goods and services. But some consumer watchdogs warn that the proliferation of green claims will confuse or mislead shoppers, and prefer that companies agree on industry-wide standards.
This CNET guide to green labels covers popular, third-party markings on electronics and other products. Their logos represent pooled efforts by experts not on the payroll of companies selling the labeled products, such as scientists, nonprofit groups, designers, and government officials.
Click here to see all of News.com's Earth Day 2008 stories, photo galleries, and more.
Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission is revising its guidelines (PDF) for green marketing claims (PDF), which haven't been updated for nearly a decade.
The Consumers Union directory of eco-labels describes in detail what's behind labeling on food, home cleaners, pesticides, wood, and other goods.
Online shoppers will soon be able to tell at a glance if computers offer "green" features. Desktop and laptop PCs, as well as monitors, sold online are set to display the EPEAT logo starting early this year.
The label is the closest the electronics industry has come to adopting a third-party, green seal of approval for computers.
EPEAT's bronze, silver, and gold ratings mark electronics offering energy efficiency and sustainable product designs. Equipment that's easily dismantled, made from recycled plastics or using low-toxic ingredients get high marks.
The nonprofit Green Electronics Council runs the EPEAT system with support from the Environmental Protection Agency. The acronym stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool. EPEAT is partnering with Channel Intelligence to make the ratings available for online commerce.
The Zones will be the first store to display the EPEAT ratings. Other Channel Intelligence retailers include Best Buy and Target stores, although if there are EPEAT plans for such major retailers, they remain under wraps.
The EPEAT label has been involved in purchasing agreements so far totaling $60 billion, according to Channel Intelligence. It will not be found in the aisles of brick-and-mortar franchises.
The government required on January 10 that 95 percent of computers bought by NASA, the Department of Defense, and the General Services Administration be EPEAT-certified. Federal departments are already required to buy computers approved by the Department of Energy's Energy Star program.
Other than Energy Star, no industry-wide "green" seal of approval for electronics appears yet on store shelves. Canon announced earlier this month that it will label popular lines of inkjet and laser printers with the company's own green seal to indicate sleeker designs and less wasteful packaging. Printer vendors including HP and Lexmark have also pushed in recent years to make their products more ecologically sustainable, but do not advertise such efforts on their packaging.
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