Too often, eco-friendly companies were only able to compete with their run-of-the-mill competitors because greenies were willing to pay a price premium to protect the environment.
But things have changed. Not only have hybrids become more cost-effective–so have all sorts of products that don’t use high-priced energy in their manufacturing processes. From the Wall Street Journal:
Does it finally pay to go green?
Consumers typically have paid a premium for environmentally friendly products. But with soaring energy prices pushing up the price of mainstream goods, green products are becoming just as — or even more — affordable these days.
The reason is that environmentally friendly products usually have less fossil-fuel content than competing nongreen brands. Their manufacture also tends to consume less oil, since green entrepreneurs favor renewable-energy and energy-saving practices.
“It’s great for us,” said Eco-Products CEO Steve Savage. “Our products are made from a corn derivative, and our competition uses petroleum. They are having price increases where our prices are stable.”
Going green is starting to make a lot more sense for the corporate bottom line.
