Consumers ‘paying the Earth’ for green goods

CONSUMERS are ‘paying the Earth’ for environmentally friendly versions of day-to-day household goods.

Sales of green products like recycled toilet paper, low-watt light bulbs and washing powder with fewer pollutants are becoming an important part of Ireland’s €13.7 billion-a-year grocery market.

However, prices of green goods can be up to 120% higher than the cost of leading standard brands in supermarkets, an Irish Examiner snap survey has found.

For example, Ireland’s leading washing-up liquid costs €1.49 for a 500ml bottle against €1.95 for a green brand, a difference of 46 cent or 31%.

Similarly, a green brand of toilet cleaner containing fewer harsh chemicals costs €2.29, making the price 96c or 72% extra compared to the standard product.

Likewise, long-life low-energy green light bulbs cost €4.39 each compared with a standard 60-watt household bulb at 76c.

On a basket of 10 basic household cleaning or maintenance goods, consumers will pay €32.47 for the leading quality brands but €39.47 for green makes, a difference of €6.76 or 21% extra.

Yesterday Friends of the Earth Ireland (FoEI) said environmentally friendly products were important, but higher prices were preventing more consumers from choosing the goods.

“Such prices are prohibitive for people on low incomes and extremely off-putting for the rest of us,” said FoEI director Oisín Coghlan.

“A lot of people, and not just those on low incomes, still shop around on price and it is the biggest consideration. More has to be done to create a level playing field between the two (green and standard) to encourage people to make the switch.”

Greener products were pricier as they included a cost for materials or production methods to ensure the goods did not harm the environment, he said.

“In the same way, products made ethically will probably not be as cheap as products made in a sweatshop, as there’s a minimum wage and no enforced labour,” he added.

Asked whether stores were bumping up the prices to take advantage of growing concern on environment, he said: “It’s certainly a risk.”

A solution would be an independent scheme — like the Fairtrade initiative — to verify green products and assure consumers that the extra cost was helping the environment.

Mr Coghlan said government, too, had a role in promoting greener goods like light bulbs.

Ministers could impose a tax on traditional bulbs to encourage consumers to buy low-energy ones, he said.

Yesterday the Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) called for clearer pricing in stores so consumers could be confident the extra cost of green goods was worthwhile.

“There are quite significant gaps in pricing and there is a lack of information about why environmentally friendly goods are as expensive as they are,” said CAI’s Dermott Jewell.