Report · Money and Finance

Avoiding guilt drives many green-product purchases

Reading

For Americans who buy green products or would consider it, the strongest motive is avoiding a bad feeling rather than chasing a good one. When asked which of their reasons matters most, about a third (35%) say buying green helps them avoid feeling guilty about environmental harm, according to a July 2025 Verasight survey.

Feeling good about themselves comes first for 24% of this group, and 22% prioritize expressing their values or identity. Some other reason tops the list for 14%, while just 6% say the deciding factor is doing what others around them do.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Avoiding guilt drives many green-product purchases.

Of the reasons you selected, which is the most important to you when choosing green products?

  • Buying green products helps me avoid feeling guilty about environmental harm 34.5%
  • Buying green products makes me feel good about myself 23.7%
  • Buying green products is a way for me to express my values or identity 21.8%
  • Other (please specify): 14.4%
  • Buying green products is something I do because others around me do 5.6%

2025 · base n 719 · +/- 3.7%

EPOVB Conference Omnibus Survey #2025-059

View source

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2025-07-14 → 2025-07-24
Base (unweighted)
719
Margin of error
+/- 3.7%
Module
EPOVB Conference Omnibus Survey #2025-059

Source

Citation

EPOVB Conference Omnibus Survey #2025-059, fielded July 14-24, 2025, N=719 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.7%.

https://verasight-epovb.tiiny.co

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.