Driven by increased environmental awareness, Americans say they are quickly moving to the greener end of the spectrum, according to the latest findings from Mintel, a Chicago-based market research company. The company revealed yesterday that over one-third of adults surveyed (36 percent) claim to "regularly" buy green products. Just 16 months ago, only 12 percent said they "regularly" purchased green products.

Furthermore, the number of people who say they "never" purchase green products has been cut in half over the past 16 months, according to Mintel. In August 2006, one in five Americans (20 percent) claimed to "never" buy green products. Now, only 10 percent of the population makes such claims.

"We're seeing the green movement rapidly transition from niche to mainstream," said Colleen Ryan, senior analyst at Mintel, in a statement. "Major companies have jumped onboard, promotional messages have changed, and the American public is increasingly looking at green products as a normal part of everyday life."

Ryan attributes the green movement's growth to young adults. In Mintel's latest survey, over half of 18-24 year olds (51 percent) claimed to "regularly" purchase green products. In contrast, only 31-36 percent of older adults said that they "regularly" buy green products.

"Tech-savvy young adults have been key in the green movement's success," said Ryan. "This suggests a bright future for green products, as young adults will carry their habits and beliefs with them as they age."

Mintel's consumer survey was conducted online in December 2007 among a nationally representative sample of 3,085 Internet users aged 18 and over.