Will Green Product Sales Wither?

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NEW YORK As the recession takes hold, it’s worth asking: Is sustainability sustainable? Organic, a category that generally commands a price premium, appears to have hit the wall. However, green products that cost the same as their more environmentally incorrect rivals seem to be better positioned.

In June, sales of organic items began declining, per Nielsen Co. (which owns Adweek). Tom Pirovano, Nielsen’s director of industry insights, said the difference was that earlier in the year, when gas prices hit $4 a gallon, the stress mostly hit low-income consumers who weren’t predisposed to buy organic items anyway.

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