RIT Symposium Conclusions
May 28, 2008 by Brian Butler | Filed under: Overview,Sustainability Labeling and Consumer Education [1,2]
There is a need to inform consumers on sustainability of products to enable them to make informed purchasing decisions, and subsequently there is much need for identifying and effectively assessing methods to inform consumers.
This workshop produced a few consensus thoughts on sustainability labeling & consumer education; such as on the topic of what makes a label an effective information tool, it was determined that consumers need to be able to adequately recognize the label and know what the label implies; additionally, these labels need the right balance of information (not too much, not too little).
With regard to what factors influence a consumer’s willingness to purchase sustainable products, the workshop groups felt that perceived personal gain (quality of the product, social pressures to buy sustainable products, cost vs. disposable income, etc.) played a significant role.
This workshop also discussed what information should be disclosed, and it was felt that there was a divide between what consumers want to know ( i.e., , and what “experts” think consumers need to know.
– Social issues
– child labor, living wage, labor health and safety conditions, investment in community, where product was made, where resources originated
– Product safety issues
– hazardous materials content
– Environmental issues
– carbon footprint, energy efficiency, product quality/durability, reliability, recyclability, recycled content, waste output
– Need to find out what works best for consumer
• Recognizable, meaning understood
• Consider ways to normalize information to account for impact related to quantity (per unit of product or use)
• Limited/simplified info on product (label) with more detailed information on criteria provided separately (e.g., insert, bar code)
You can view the symposium powerpoint HERE.