It is the paper presented by me in a seminar. It focused on the general concept of the term "Green Consumerism".

1. The Green Consumerism and its sustainability towards Consumer
Behaviour
*M. Subadhra Krishnan
Abstract:
Green consumer behaviour is one of the key focuses of contemporary research on the
sociology of consumption. The constant presence of environmental issues related to
consumption and the changes consumer society has faced during the 20th century are
presumed to reflect on present consumer behaviour.
This paper examines the impact of these trends on the role of the marketing department in
the 1990's. Essentially, when the buying habits of consumers are being strangely
influenced by green and other environmental issues, the paper argues that the marketing
concept and subsequent strategies need to be rethought. , arguing for the need for a long
term marketing perspective rather than the short term window dressing approach taken by
many marketing departments..
In recent years, the idea of ‘green’ or ‘political’ consumers expressing their political
beliefs in everyday life has been widely embraced. Eager to satisfy the needs of this new
market segment, firms have allocated substantial resources to environmental
management, social accountability, corporate citizenship, occupational health and safety
etc.
As the Encyclopedia of the Environment noted, marketers have responded to
growing consumer demand for environment-friendly products in several ways:
"By promoting the environmental attributes of their products; by introducing new
products; and by redesigning existing products, all components of environmental
marketing."
During the 1990s, the industrialized world also witnessed a growing number of
environmental labels, expected to guide the political consumers in their shopping
decisions. This paper deals about the evaluations of these environmental programme,
eco-sponsoring, eco-labelling etc., indicate that some labels and product groups receive a
great deal of attention while others remain in obscurity.

2. Introduction:
Every time someone makes a decision about whether (or not) to purchase a product or
service there is the potential for that decision to contribute to a more or less sustainable
pattern of consumption. Each purchase has ethical, resource, waste and community
impact implications. When individuals consider the adoption of sustainable lifestyles,
they engage with an increasingly complex decision-making process. These every day
decisions on practical environmental or ethical solutions often result in trade-offs
between conflicting issues and result in a “motivational and practical complexity of green
consumption”.
Green marketing began in Europe in the early 1980s when certain products were
found to be harmful to the earth's atmosphere. Consequently new types of products were
created, called "green" products, that would cause less damage to the environment. The
movement quickly caught on in the United States and has been growing steadily ever
since. The development of ecologically safer products, recyclable and biodegradable
packaging, energy-efficient operations, and better pollution controls are all aspects of
green marketing. Green marketing has produced advances such as packages using
recycled paper, phosphate-free detergents, refill containers for cleaning products, and
bottles using less plastic.
Environmentally-responsible or "green" marketing is a business practice that
takes into account consumer concerns about promoting preservation and conservation of
the natural environment. Green marketing campaigns highlight the superior
environmental protection characteristics of a company's products and services, whether
those benefits take the form of reduced waste in packaging, increased energy efficiency
in product use, or decreased release of toxic emissions and other pollutants in production.
True green marketing emphasizes environmental stewardship.
Meaning:
1. GREEN CONSUMERISM: Green consumerism refers to recycling,
purchasing and using eco-friendly products that minimize damage to the
environment. This involves decisions such as using Energy Start appliances that
consume less power, buying hybrid cars that emit less carbon dioxide, using solar
and wind power to generate electricity and buying locally grown vegetables and
fruits.
More and more businesses and industries are joining in the green movement,
either out of a real interest in saving the planet or a desire to capitalize on the
growing consumer demand for greener ways. For example, Wal-Mart anticipates
savings to the tune of billions of dollars by reducing packaging across the supply
chain and Wells Fargo issues carbon credits to offset its customers' credit card
purchases.

3. The Green Consumer:
Without getting technical, a green consumer is someone who is very concerned about the
environment and, therefore, only purchases products that are environmentally-friendly or
eco-friendly. Products with little or no packaging, products made from natural ingredients
and products that are made without causing pollution are all examples of eco-friendly
products. The green consumer would be the type to drive a hybrid vehicle, buy products
made with hemp or those made from recycled materials.
Objectives:
1. To know the characteristics of Green Product.
2. To enhance the steps towards green promotion.
3. To know the impact of Green Consumerism
4. To observe the necessity of green consumerism in various aspects.
5. To evaluate the reaction towards Green Consumerism.
Green Products:
In the book The Green Consumer, John Elkington, Julia Hailes, and John Makower
discussed several characteristics that a product must have to be regarded as a "green"
product. They contended that a green product should not:
• Endanger the health of people or animals
• Damage the environment at any stage of its life, including manufacture, use, and
disposal
• Consume a disproportionate amount of energy and other resources during
manufacture, use, or disposal
• Cause unnecessary waste, either as a result of excessive packaging or a short
useful life
• Involve the unnecessary use of or cruelty to animals

4. • Use materials derived from threatened species or environments
J. Stephen Shi and Jane M. Kane, meanwhile, noted in Business Horizons that the
consulting firm FIND/SVP also judged a product's friendliness to the environment by
ultimately simple measurements:
FIND/SVP considers a product to be 'green' if it runs cleaner, works better, or saves
money and energy through an efficiency. Businesses practice being green when they
voluntarily recycle and attempt to reduce waste in their daily operations. Practicing green
is inherently proactive; it means finding ways to reduce waste and otherwise be more
environmentally responsible, before being forced to do so through government
regulations. Green promotion, however, requires businesses to be honest with consumers
and not mislead them by over promising."
LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS:
Most analysts agree that the "life" of the product and its parts is one of the most
important components in determining whether a product is "green" or not. Most people
think only of the process of creating a product when gauging whether a product is green,
but in reality, products impact on the environment at several additional stages of their
useful lives. Life cycle analysis (LCA) and/or product line analysis (PLA) studies
measure the cumulative environmental impact of products over their entire life cycle
from raction of the resources used to create the product to all aspects of production
(refining, manufacturing, and transportation) to its use and ultimate disposal. These
studies are sometimes referred to as "cradle to grave" studies. Since such studies track
resource use, energy requirements, and waste generation in order to provide comparative
benchmarks, both manufacturers and consumers can select products that have the least
impact upon the natural environment. Some detractors of LCA studies, though—while
granting that they do provide useful information—contend that they are subjective in
setting analysis boundaries and claim that it is difficult to compare the environmental
impact of disparate products.
Green Promotion:
Perhaps no area of green marketing has received as much attention as promotion. In fact,
green advertising claims grew so rapidly during the late 1980s that the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) issued guidelines to help reduce consumer confusion and prevent the
false or misleading use of terms such as "recyclable," "degradable," and "environmentally
friendly" in environmental advertising. Since that time, the FTC has continues to offer
general guidelines for companies wishing to make environmental claims as part of their
promotional efforts:
• Qualifications and disclosures should be sufficiently clear and prominent to
prevent deception.

5. • Environmental claims should make clear whether they apply to the product, the
package, or a component of either. Claims need to be qualified with regard to
minor, incidental components of the product or package.
• Environmental claims should not overstate the environmental attribute or benefit.
Marketers should avoid implying a significant environmental benefit where the
benefit is, in fact, negligible.
• A claim comparing the environmental attributes of one product with those of
another product should make the basis for the comparison sufficiently clear and
should be substantiated.
The FTC regulations apply to all aspects and forms of marketing, including labeling,
advertising, and promotional materials. "When a business makes any environmental
claim, it must be able to support that claim with reliable scientific evidence," summarized
Shi and Kane. "A corporation trumpeting an environmental benefit that it is unable to
substantiate is treading on thin ice and leaving itself open to substantial penalties if a
legal suit is brought against the company."
In addition to delineating marketing claims that might be regarded as false or misleading,
the FTC also provides guidance to businesses on how to make specific claims about
environmentally-friendly aspects of their operation, in part by clarifying the definitions of
such commonly used terms as "recyclable," "biodegradable," and "compostable." These
guidelines were issued (and remain in force) not only to curb businesses engaged in
misleading advertising practices, but also to clarify the regulatory environment for
companies. Various entities, from states and cities to industry groups and standards-
setting organizations, had developed their own definitions in the years prior to the
publication of the FTC report precisely because of the dearth of federal guidelines. "As a
consequence," said the Encyclopedia of the Environment, "marketers faced a patchwork
and sometimes costly marketplace where relabeling, legal actions, and negative publicity
can create additional costs, can cause market share losses, and may deter some from
making credible claims altogether."
Eco-Sponsoring:
One avenue commonly used by companies to promote their specific ecological concerns
(or polish their overall reputations as good corporate citizens) is to affiliate themselves
with groups or projects engaged in environmental improvements. In eco-sponsoring's
simplest form, firms contribute funds directly to an environmental organization to further
the organization's objectives. Another approach is to "adopt" a particular environmental
cause (community recycling programs are popular), thus demonstrating the company's
interest in supporting environmental protection efforts. Sponsorships of educational
programs, wildlife refuges, and park or nature area clean-up efforts also communicate
concern for environmental issues. Environmental organizations charge, however, that
some businesses use eco-sponsorships to hide fundamentally rapacious attitudes toward
the environment.
Eco-Labeling:

6. Another vehicle that has been used with increasing frequency in recent years to convey
environmental information to consumers is "eco-labeling." Ecolabeling programs are
typically voluntary, third-party expert assessments of the environmental impacts of
products. "By performing a thorough evaluation of a product, but awarding only a simple
logo on packages, ecolabels offer consumers clear guidance based on expert
information," claimed the Encyclopedia of the Environment, which noted that
government-sponsored ecolabeling programs have been launched with great success in
many areas of the world, including Europe, Canada, and Japan. Indeed, those programs,
which provide consumers with easily understandable information on the most
environmentally sensitive products and services in various market areas, can be a potent
factor in guiding the purchasing decisions of consumers. Recognition may be given for
several different reasons. For instance, a product may have particularly low pollutant or
noise emissions, give off less waste material in its production, or be more recyclable than
competing products.
Eco-labeling programs increase awareness of environmental issues, set high standards for
firms to work towards, and help reduce consumer uncertainty regarding a product's
environmental benefits. Thus far, however, the U.S. government has resisted instituting
an officially-sanctioned eco-labeling program.
Main impacts of Green Products:
Consumers have been asking for green products, i.e there has been a clear raise in
demand for such products.
• Businesses have looked into the green process - generating corporate
environmental profiles, monitoring and evaluating green performance, and
improving corporate image as a result.
• Green products have also increased competition among businesses to generate
more environmentally friendly products.
• Ecolabelling networks that monitor and evaluate green products have been
developed in many countries. These networks have done life cycle analyses to
understand the impact of products.
• Governments have also taken several measures that have supported and facilitated
such moves by businesses.
Green consumerism creates a balance between the expectations of consumer
behaviour and businesses' profit motives. Points to be noted:
• Markets don't wait for slow movers. Businesses that innovate and respond quickly
to consumer demands survive best.
• Everyone has a part to play, at various levels of administration, manufacture and
use.
• A consumer has to realize that he/she not just buys 'a' product, but everything that
went into its production, and everything that will happen in the future as a result
of that product.

7. • All products have an environmental impact, however small. The idea is to reduce
it to the minimum.
Necessity of Green Consumerism in various aspects:
• Health: A sentary lifestyle combined with health impacts of environmental
pollution and emissions, use and abuse of pesticides, anti-biotics etc.
• Population and consumption: Population increases, aging populations,
consumption patterns - living beyond means, etc.
• Globalization: Transboundary effect and free trade have both advantages
(efficiency, profits, opportunities, demand) and disadvantages (unemployment,
footloose companies, weaker controls, unfair trade, small scale loses out) etc.
• Energy: Every source of energy has an environmental impact. Energy efficiency
is not just technology, but also cutting back. There are enough cars to create a six-
lane traffic jam to the moon.
• Water: Water use is increasing at twice the rate of population increase. Much can
be done at the individual level.
• Chemicals: Use of pesticides and other hazardous chemicals. PCB?DDT has
been found in mother's milk too! Ozone depleting chemicals, hormone-disrupting
chemicals have long term effects on human health and well-being.
• Genetic engineering: Includes many ethical and moral issues, including
misinformation. Not that genetic engineering is bad - but the consumer should be
given the choice.
• Natural World: Considerable pressures put on the natural world due to
population increases and rise in consumption. 40% of all plant growth consumed
by humans! Somewhere, something should stop.
• Ethics: The treatment of other peoples. Issues of gender, children, animal
welfare. Ethics of cloning, fertility et al.
• Fair Trade: Nee to look into working conditions (child labour, low wages, long
hours, lack of safety, mass production v/s craft industries.
• Neighbourhoods: Development of a sense of community. Increase in financial
wealth, but also of quality of life. Measure "gross national happiness"!!
• Childhood: Loss of 'childhood' due to societal pressures and expectations,
knowledge and skills, etc.
Reactions to "green Consumerism"
A number of factors have caused business firms in some industries to incorporate an
environmental ethic into their operations. The principal factor, of course, is the growing
public awareness of the environmental degradation that has resulted as a consequence of
the growth in population and natural resource consumption throughout the world during
the last 50 years. The issue is particularly relevant in America, which accounts for fully

8. one quarter of world consumption despite having only a small fraction of the world's
population. This growing public awareness of environmental issues has brought with it a
corresponding change in the buying decisions of a significant segment of American
consumers. As the Encyclopedia of the Environment observed, "many consumers, and not
just the most environmentally conscious, are seeking ways to lessen the environmental
impacts of their personal buying decisions through the purchase and use of products and
services perceived to be environmentally preferable."
Businesses took heed of this growth in "green consumerism," and new marketing
campaigns were devised to reflect this new strain of thought among consumers.
Companies with product lines that were created in an environmentally friendly fashion
(i.e., with recycled products, comparatively low pollutant emissions, and so on) quickly
learned to shape their marketing message to highlight such efforts and to reach those
customers most likely to appreciate those efforts (an advertisement highlighting a
company's recycling efforts, for instance, is more likely to appear in an outdoor/nature
magazine than a general interest periodical).
Ironically, studies have shown that the most environmentally aware consumers are also
the ones most likely to view green claims of companies with skepticism. As George M.
Zinkhan and Les Carlson wrote in the Journal of Advertising, "green consumers are the
very segment most likely to distrust advertisers and are quite likely to pursue behaviours
and activities that confound business people." Corporate reputation, then, has emerged as
a tremendously important factor in reaching and keeping these consumers. A company
that touts its sponsorship of an outdoor oriented event or utilizes nature scenery in its
advertising, but also engages in practices harmful to the environment, is unlikely to gain a
significant portion of the green consumer market. Of course, such tactics are sometimes
effective in reaching less informed sectors of the marketplace.
Environmental or green marketing differs from other forms of advertising in some fairly
fundamental ways. The Encyclopedia of the Environment summarized the most striking
differences effectively:
"First, unlike, price, quality, and other features, the environmental impacts of a product
are not always apparent and may not affect the purchaser directly. Thus environmental
claims are often more abstract and offer consumers the opportunity to act on their
environmental concerns.
Second, unlike most advertised product attributes, environmental claims may apply to the
full product life cycle, from raw material extraction to ultimate product disposal, reuse, or
recycling.
Third, and most important, environmental marketing provides an incentive for
manufacturers to achieve significant environmental improvements, such as toxics use
reduction and recycling, by competing on the basis of minimizing environmental impacts
of their products."

9. Conclusion:
The study reports of the connection between lifestyle and green commitment. Lifestyle is
measured by consumption styles and green commitment by certain environment-related
consumption choices. The results suggest that different lifestyles explain green
commitment better than traditional socio-economic background variables. The effect of
postmodernism on green consumer behaviour is, thus, discussed. It is concluded that the
concept of the ‘green’ consumer is over-simplified and fails to capture the actual
complexity of consumer values, attitudes and behaviour. The results are based on existing
literature. On the whole, the paper argues that as a private lifestyle project of a single
individual, ‘green consumerism’ is much too heavy a responsibility to bear. Indeed,
marketing campaigns touting the environmental ethics of companies and the
environmental advantages of their products have proliferated in recent years.

10. Conclusion:
The study reports of the connection between lifestyle and green commitment. Lifestyle is
measured by consumption styles and green commitment by certain environment-related
consumption choices. The results suggest that different lifestyles explain green
commitment better than traditional socio-economic background variables. The effect of
postmodernism on green consumer behaviour is, thus, discussed. It is concluded that the
concept of the ‘green’ consumer is over-simplified and fails to capture the actual
complexity of consumer values, attitudes and behaviour. The results are based on existing
literature. On the whole, the paper argues that as a private lifestyle project of a single
individual, ‘green consumerism’ is much too heavy a responsibility to bear. Indeed,
marketing campaigns touting the environmental ethics of companies and the
environmental advantages of their products have proliferated in recent years.