Making the peelable labels on green products more appealing could help to encourage shoppers to buy them, a new study has suggested.

According to a poll published by The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research, one in four people are willing to pay more for a product if they think it will contribute to saving the environment.

Those aged 35 to 44 and 55 to 64 were more likely than the university-age demographic to spend extra cash on green products, the survey discovered.

Craig Elston from the Integer Group said that while people are likely to be willing to do little things such as switching off lights to be green, they will need to be offered a tangible incentive to spend more money in supermarkets on environmentally-friendly goods.

"If shoppers can't see or feel an immediate reward for this new behaviour ... they'll opt to stick with what they know," he warned.

The report recommended implementing long-term solutions such as clearer labelling with an emotional impact instead of short-lived promotions in order to get people to commit to green shopping.

Last month, the government announced plans to scrap best before dates on peelable labels to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

Denny Bros Ltd, 11 May 2011