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Contrary to reports about great strides the consumer electronics industry is making toward becoming more environmentally friendly, a recent study by Retrevo says mistrust, lack of education, and high prices are hindering the CE industry’s green efforts.
The study finds that while 75% of consumers claim that buying energy efficient products is important to them, less than half have actually bought "green" electronics products. Moreover, 35% of respondents said they would be unwilling to pay any premium whatsoever for green products, despite the documented effects these products have on lowering energy bills. These results suggest that manufacturers and retailers need to better communicate the importance of buying green or else they will have to be more aggressive with pricing.
Another impediment to buying green is skepticism consumers have about the validity of the green label. About 40% of respondents felt that manufacturers and retailers use the term incongruously, capitalizing on the trend while not actually creating or selling energy efficient products; only 13% of respondents trusted green claims. The report suggests that manufacturers will need to be more consistent in their claims and work hard to overcome consumers’ skepticism about energy ratings.
The good news is that many people say they dispose of electronics products in an environmentally conscious manner. Approximately 33% said they give them to charity; 20% said they take them to a recycling center; and 17% said they sell them. Only 12% said they throw old electronics in the trash.
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