Seventh Generation “Greenest” American Brand, According to New Research

In a recent project of extensive brand research conducted by Cohn & Wolfe, Landor Associates, Penn Schoen Berland and Esty Environmental Partners, the most trusted credible “green” brand for American consumers was found to be the manufacturer of environmentally-friendly household cleaning products and recycled paper goods, Seventh Generation.

Coming in behind Seventh Generation were the retailers Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, and personal care brands Tom’s of Maine and Burt’s Bees. Other “green” brands came from companies that did not start out as green: The Walt Disney Company, S.C. Johnson, Dove and Apple, with Starbucks and Microsoft tied in 10th place.

Seventh Generation has recently launched the first ever “paper bottle,” which will be used for its extra concentrated liquid laundry detergent.

Research shows Americans continue to have concerns over the health of the environment and that nearly 75 percent would buy from green companies when possible—and despite this concern, price still dictates purchasing decisions in more than 60 percent of those polled. Americans and British consumers were least likely to pay more than 10 percent for green products while 55 percent of Chinese consumers said they would pay as much as 30 percent more for green options. Somewhat surprising was the biggest concern for Americans when considering if a product is green: Product packaging. More than 70 percent cited companies as using too much packaging, while still acknowledging its necessity in commerce.

Consumers are smarter too, cites the research. In addition to household items such as food and personal care, they’re also interested in green homes, cars and technology.

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