Study: Green products on the shelf

According to a research by Genencor published in May, consumers now readily accept biobased products that offer sustainability benefits. In a survey done by the company, the report noted that 8 out of 10 consumers in the US and Canada would definitely.likely purchase biobased household products if comparable on cost and effectiveness with non-biobased.

Genencor noted that there are 20,000 biobased products currently being manufactured in North America as reported by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). In the survey, 71% consumers in Canada and 53% American consumers purchased a household product considered to be green in categories such as cleaning supplies, personal care, detergents and soaps, recycled paper and energy efficient light bulbs.

The survey also noted that US women are twice as likely as men to purchase green cleaning products. Men, however are twice as likely as women to purchase energy efficiency bulbs – I guess it’s more manly to be seen with light bulbs than detergents.

Consumers, however, are still wary about greenwashing and want to be assured that the environmental claims are true. Here is a video of Genencor CEO Tjerk de Ruiter explaining about some of the key findings from their survey. De Ruiter said the study – the first of its kind – would serve as a baseline against which to trace evolving consumer attitudes in future surveys which would take place every 2-3 years.

The survey would also be conducted in China and Europe, according to ICIS News, which covered the launch of the study.

List of several bio-based/green products that came out/announced the past few months:

• Zoë b Organic, a distributor of BPA-free, organic products for babies and kids, has selected and contracted Mirel™ bioplastic for the world’s first line of biodegradable beach toys.
• Danone launches Ingeo™ Activia yogurt cup in the German market.
• Solazyme launched its microalgae-based skin care line Algenist in Sephora stores and on television shopping channel QVC.
• PepsiCo has begun offering eco-friendly, recyclable and compostable cups to Foodservice customers in the US through company-owned and independent bottler distribution systems. The new offerings consist of fully recyclable clear plastic cups, including an rPET cup containing 20 percent post-consumer recycled content, as well as compostable paper cups and wax cups made with plant-based materials sourced from sustainably managed forests.
• Frito Lay’s 100% compostable SunChips bag is back with a more quieter feature.
• Heinz will use Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle packaging for its ketchup bottles.
• Sonoco is now producing biodegradable ReadyGrow™ planters for Metrolina Greenhouses’ spring herbs. The one-quart planters are made from 100 percent recycled paper and biodegrade in the ground as plants grow.
• Boulder Canyon Natural Foods has launched a 7.5-oz compostable bag for five varieties of its All Natural Kettle Cooked Potato Chips.
• UCAN Products LLC has selected Mirel™ bioplastic for a new line of kitchen compost bags.
• Teijin Limited’s BIOFRONT highly heat-resistant bioplastic will be used in eyeglass frames in the JAPONISM series of eyeglasses by Boston Club Co., Ltd., a Japan-based globally active eyeglass maker.

Source

ICIS Green Chemicals, 2011-06-19.

Supplier

Boulder Canyon Natural Foods
Danone GmbH
Frito-Lay
Genencor
Heinz Company
PepsiCo
Sonoco
Teijin Ltd.
TerraVia
UCAN Products LLC
Zoë b Organic

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