Why do producers need to develop green products?

Globally, more and more consumers are concerned about the environmental impact of the products they use. In a survey conducted in Hong Kong by Friends of the Earth (HK) and published in 2004, 70% of consumers said they would choose to buy green products. This preference or concern for 'green' products is highlighted by various other surveys carried out in a number of countries and regions including Denmark (25-40%), western Germany (50%) and Japan (68%). So developing eco-friendly goods and services is a way to both capture a new market and protect the environment.

The call for producers, not just the government or the general public, to be responsible for addressing the problem of waste generation, is increasing. This has resulted in the concept of 'extended producer responsibility', which stipulates that a producer's responsibility for a product should not end with the sale of that product, but should extend to its reuse and disposal.