The Green Gap

Good news for companies that sell recycled and other environmentally friendly products. They may have a growing market for their products as young people are more willing to pay to be green.

Image: iStockphoto

Millennials are different, all the experts keep claiming. Here’s a concrete way in which they’re different: More of them are willing to pay a significant premium to buy green products.

A Capstrat-Public Policy Polling survey released this morning shows 19 percent of the youngest adults say they’re willing to pay “significantly more” for green goods. That’s more than twice as many as any other age group.

Only 4 percent of those aged 30 to 45 are willing to fork over extra for green products, 7 percent of those aged 46 to 65 are willing to pay extra, and 5 percent of those 65 and over are willing to pay substantially more for environmental friendliness.

All that said, a majority across all age groups are willing to pay a little or significantly more for green products. When the two categories are lumped together, 56 percent of those surveyed are willing to pay more to go green.

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