Younger adults consider, opt for green products

NEW YORK — Environmental issues continue to be either "extremely" or "very" important to U.S. adults — especially those ages 18 to 24 years — when deciding which products or services to purchase, according to a new poll from Harris Interactive.

The Harris poll discovered that among U.S. adults ages 18 to 24 years, that number has increased from 22% in 2009 to 31%. Additionally, more than one-third (35%) of them said they were willing to pay extra for a green product — compared with 27% in 2010 and 25% in 2009 — while 11% of them said they seek out green products and services regardless of the cost (compared with 4% of all U.S. adults surveyed). Harris Interactive did find, however, that 51% of respondents in this demographic said they were unwilling to pay extra for green products.

"Considering the sharp uptick in reported purchasing behavior among young American adults, we may very well see environmental issues grow in importance in the years to come, as these younger Americans see their purchasing power increase as they move into and advance in the workplace," Harris Interactive said.

Overall, 26% of 2,451 U.S. adults ages 18 years and older have expressed this sentiment; however, it virtually has remained unchanged since 2009: 27% of U.S. adults said environmental issues were extremely/very important to their purchasing decisions in 2010, while 26% said the same in 2009. Despite this, the number that remains consistent across gender, geography, education and income, Harris Interactive noted.