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How Can Consumers Best Ensure that the Products They Purchase Were Produced in a Socially Responsible Manner? by Krista Delisle

Posted by: | May 10, 2014 Comments Off on How Can Consumers Best Ensure that the Products They Purchase Were Produced in a Socially Responsible Manner? by Krista Delisle |

As consumers become more aware of the impact their purchases make, it is only natural that they begin making purchasers with that impact in mind.  Consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for products they can feel good about, i.e. those that are environmentally responsible, leave a negative carbon footprint, or a portion of whose profits are donated to charity.  It is increasingly easier to purchase products with these concerns in mind, with labels such as Energy Star, LEED ratings and those showing that a product was made under Fair Trade regulations.  However, consumers do not have a way to ensure that the products they purchase were produced in a socially responsible manner.  Wanting this option is the easy part. Laying out what such labels might actually look like is a different story.  For example, what is adequate and how should we measure success?  And, most importantly for this class, what is the law’s place in this decision?

Can one label adequately focus on all of it?

I would have to agree with Mark Buckley of Staples, in saying, “In my humble opinion, not yet. Labels represent a quick “seal of approval” that a product meets standard for quality, labor or environmental integrity. Until recently they have tended to focus on only one or two attributes. A product may contain recycled material, but the process to recycle may produce a highly toxic pollutant. Consumers are conflicted and confused…the good news is that there is a movement here at Staples and other companies toward full life cycle accounting where all of the most material impacts are tracked and measured. We look forward to the day when that product labeling will easily convey comparative scores for consumers to compare cradle to cradle impacts.” 

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