Slightly more than 50 percent of adult Americans said they would include “going green” among their 2010 New Year’s resolutions, according to a results of nationwide survey released in December by marketing consulting firm Tiller LLC.
This sector is up from 49 percent of those surveyed two years ago to 53 percent, Tiller said. Upwards of 85 percent of the 1,000 surveyed at the end of November in 2009 plan to reduce energy consumption, recycle more than they do now and make smarter purchases from environmentally responsible companies.
Of the more interesting points of the survey, Tiller found that at least 53 percent believe that individuals are best catalysts of changes that benefit the environment. Notably, 72 percent say it is likely they will use their own bag at the grocery store, an increase from only 42 percent two years ago. Almost half said they bought products made by an environmentally or socially responsible company and at least half said they avoided products thought to potentially harm the environment.
As far as political leanings go, 69 percent responded that their vote was contingent to varying extents on a candidate’s backing of environmental issues.
Women are more apt to make environmentally responsible resolutions than men, the survey found.
“Women are clearly more focused than men on incorporating environmental responsibility into daily household activities,” said Tiller principal James Marren. “That’s encouraging, given that women continue to carry most of the burden of household management. To the extent that women can bring other family members along, perhaps environmentally responsible behaviors will take root even more strongly – with some genuine, enduring benefits to the environment.”
