Is 'eco-friendly' really more expensive?

It has long been perceived that anything labelled 'eco' or 'organic' must be expensive. But is it really? In recent years people have seemingly fallen in love with the local farmers market with it's organic produce, and anything green, biodegradable, reusable or recyclable has been seen as 'cool'. But are people changing their minds on green pricing?                                              

Recently, after holidaying with friends it occurred to me that for the average shopper sourcing out 'green' alternatives isn't necessarily on their busy agenda's. Laying it on the table, it is easier to duck into that supermarket you pass everyday, throw in the usual that you have always bought on auto pilot. Only to get home and realise 'damn' you have done it again!! 'I was going to try out the 'eco' alternative' this time. 

Ringing any bells? I have done this, everyone has done it we are creatures of habit after all.

However here it is, things have changed, leading eco brands such as Ecover and  Ecostore have developed their products to be efficient, environmentally friendly and best of all cost effective. These companies realised that we are just not going to 'buy green' unless it is closer to the price range everyone is accustomed too, and works just as well if not better than the leading supermarket brands.

Another factor when looking at cost effectiveness of the so called 'green range' is that these products are developed without fillers. Eco alternatives do not use bulking agents or fillers that basically make the product look bigger, and therefore lead us to believe that we are getting more 'bang for our buck'. The leading eco brands are concentrated, this means you only need to use a little, so end up saving money overall.

Here's a few points that might explain why eco-friendly products have had the 'expensive' tag.

1. COST TO THE FARMER: Making eco-friendly products is often more costly to the producer. Take organic farming for example, without the use of pesticides the farming process is more intensive and the risk of production loss higher. Meaning that with reduced quantity's of food produced the farmer has no other choice but to charge more to make ends meet.

2. PRODUCTION OFFSHORE: Larger corporations are able to mass produce items, reducing their overheads and cost. Often produced offshore where cheaper labour costs are taken advantage of.

3. COMPETITION: Competition is key, the larger the quantity produced the easier it is to reduce product prices. The leading eco friendly companies are making an impact though and prices are now very comparable in general.

It would appear to me, compared to European nations whom have seemingly embraced the use of 'eco' products, that we just don't know what to buy, what works, and where to access it. This is not our fault for by and large the major chains are hardly going to allow a new industry in to 'storm' the market are they? As Australians we have embraced shopping online for clothing, appliances, gifts the list goes on. Accessibility is a key point here, everything is available we just need to start thinking outside the square and start to change our normal habits.

So here's the challenge why not compare your current cleaners with an eco-friendly brand. Look outside your normal shopping habits. You may well be surprised and find yourself making the switch to greener safer alternatives easier on the hip pocket than you first thought!

Images courtesy of flickr creative commons.