Green gifts on wish-list this holiday season

Category: International Tags: , ,

United States: Throughout the festive season, many shoppers will be looking for – and be willing to pay more for – recyclable gifts, a new study commissioned by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has found.

Some 66% of Americans say they pay attention to information about a product’s recycled content before buying it. Also, they wouldn’t mind paying up to 10% more for the product if it contains recycled content and 13% more if the item is fully recyclable.

‘The data show that design for recycling not only benefits the environment and saves energy, but can increase a company’s bottom line,’ comments ISRI president Robin Wiener. ‘Consumers look for and are demanding more information about a product’s recyclability. Manufacturers that create products with recycling in mind can gain a significant edge over their competitors.’

According to the poll, 86% of respondents would appreciate manufacturers designing products for ease of disassembly in preparation for recycling. Introducing a ‘Recycling Guide’ label on products is what 81% of US consumers would like to see, providing details of the specific parts and percentage of the product that can be recycled.

Convenience remains an important issue, the survey once again demonstrates. Some 62% of consumers stated that they would ‘probably not’ recycle if the product in question was not convenient to recycle. Just under 19% of respondents said the product’s packaging is important as well, taking into account the materials used and its recyclability.

The Harris Poll survey targeted over 2000 consumers of 18 years and above. The complete report containing all the findings is available on the ISRI website at www.isri.org