• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, June 10, 2011

As consumers around the world grow more savvy -- and more cynical -- about what companies are doing to protect the planet, the demand for products from companies they see as environmental good guys is up significantly.

In the U.S., concerns about the environment have rebounded to pre-recession levels, with 50% saying they believe the environment is on the wrong track -- a three-year low, according to the annual ImagePower Global Green Brands Study, which surveyed 9,000 adults in eight countries.

The brands Americans find most credible are Seventh Generation, Whole Foods, Tom's of Maine, Burt's Bees, and Trader Joe's. (For the first time in the study's five-year history, four "born green" companies are in the top spots.) But much larger companies dominate the lower half of the top 10: The Walt Disney Company, S.C. Johnson, Dove and Apple coming in next. Starbucks and Microsoft tied for 10th place.

Among U.S. consumers, 73% say they believe it is important to buy from green companies. But cost is still the biggest hurdle: 62% say price is the major deterrent to green purchases.

Shoppers in the U.S. and U.K. are less likely to pay more, with just 20% saying they would be willing to fork over greater than 10% more in order to buy a green product. In developing nations, the willingness to spend is much greater: 55% of Chinese consumers would pay between 11 to 30% more to get something green; 48% of Brazilians and 29% of Indians.

In the U.S., the biggest concern is about how products are packaged, with 71% believing companies use too much packaging (although only 34% say they deliberately purchase products on this basis.) But they need the packaging for information: 50% say packaging helps them understand how green a product is, and 40% say it is their primary source for information on environmental issues regarding products.

The study also discovered that as consumers have gotten smarter about the personal care, food and household product categories, they are expanding their green purchase interest to pricier purchases, such as cars and technology.

The brand research is a joint effort from three WPP-owned companies -- Cohn & Wolfe, Landor Associates and Penn Schoen Berland, as well as independent Esty Environmental Partners.