The selling of products that are good for the environment is still a matter of convincing the consumer that they are good for them and their pocketbook.
For consumers, all that is green is not always gold.
California firms hope to turn green into gold
Expo seeks to educate consumers on recycled goods
By Ngoc Nguyen - ngnguyen@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Monday, April 7, 2008
For companies devoted to eco-friendly wares and services, it is not enough that California is at the vanguard of the green business movement.
Manufacturers must convince consumers that their new products are good, not just good for the environment.
That's what Stockton-based Timbron International hopes to accomplish at the Green California Summit and Expo in Sacramento, which starts today.
Timbron recycles Styrofoam into interior trim and moldings. Home Depot carries the company's wares, but Timbron still has to work on educating potential customers, said Heather Gadonniex, the firm's sustainability and marketing manager.
Timbron products are made from 90 percent recycled content, collected in the region. Installing the materials in area buildings closes the local recycling loop, Gadonniex said.
"We really want to get the message out to the local community that Styrofoam is recycling, and it's recycling in Sacramento's backyard," she said.
So far, though, consumers have hesitated about molding that is technically "plastic" and not wood, she said.
