Samsung sees “green” as money grubbing opportunity

Samsung is looking to take advantage of eco-conscious phone users by charging a premium for green handsets.

A survey by the handset maker found 52% of American consumers would pay more for green products.

Over one in five (22%) Americans would pay up to 20% more to salve their conscience of environmental guilt.

Environmental concerns now make up almost a third of the most important reasons to buy a new product, the research found.

Rather than seeing this as an indicator that it should green up its act, Samsung views it as an opportunity to make more money.

“The environment is a big factor in buyers’ awareness and it’s only getting bigger,” said David Steel, Samsung’s senior vice president of strategic marketing.

“We have not been very vocal about our green credentials in the past,” he added.

“We still feel we have a long way to go, but it’s a journey we’ll have to take.”