Some would pay more for green PCs, TVs, survey shows

Some Americans appear willing to pay more than lip service when it comes to eco-friendly electronics, according to new research.

A survey of 5,000 American adults conducted by Forrester Research found that 12% are ready to dish out extra dollars for computers and TVs that use less energy or come from an environmentally friendly company.

So far, electronics makers have failed to cash in on that eco-minded market, projected to embrace 25 million Americans. They haven’t created a PC or TV equivalent of the Prius hybrid car, analyst Christopher Mines said in a report on the survey.

“I’m not suggesting that these companies go entirely green with their product lines,” Mines said. “I just think 12% is enough of a market to capture.”

Some electronics companies, such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Toshiba Corp., have already adopted green initiatives. Their efforts have included beefed-up recycling programs and products that consume less power and use fewer toxic materials.

But behind-the-scenes efforts aren’t always publicized.

“They should make that effort more visible in terms of the product and turn it inside out to the marketplace,” Mines said. “Any one of these companies can step up to grab that eco-friendly product leadership.”