Product-related environmental information to guide consumer purchases - a review and analysis of research on perceptions, understanding and use among Nordic consumers

Summary, in English

Informed product choices are a prerequisite for the greening of consumption. Nordic consumers are subject to an ever-growing amount of product-related environmental information that is available in a number o f formats. The degree to which they use information is disputed. This paper reviews Nordic research on consumer perceptions, understanding and use of product-related environmental information. The majority o f the publications point to a great number of consumers, who recognise, know and possess sufficient confidence in the main eco-labels and should therefore, be able to use them. However, this is not always the case. How the product-related environmental information works in the market place is dependent upon many determinants related to the purchasing moment. Therefore, in contrast to the majority of research on the topic, studies o f the use of product-related environmental information suggests that the focus should be on the purchasing decision and take into account the dynamic context o f the diverse purchasing situations.

• Author: Charlotte Leire; Åke Thidell
• Department/s: The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
• Publishing year: 2007
• Language: English
• Pages: 343-352
• Publication/Series: Labelling Strategies in Environmental Policy
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781351154529-29
• Document type: Book chapter
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Topic: Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
• Keywords: Literature review; Nordic consumers; Product-related environmental information; Purchase
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISBN: 9781351154529; ISBN: 9781351154512