ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the evolution of eco-information policy and summarizes the case for a market-oriented approach to eco-information policy. It explains how a market-oriented approach should be structured and implemented within our federal system. Eco-information policy comprises the range of programs aimed at informing consumers about the environmental effects of their lifestyle, purchasing, and disposal decisions. The federal structure of eco-information policy turns largely upon the general policy approach. The principal approach to eco-information policy throughout the industrialized world has been the use of point-of-purchase labels to guide consumers to “preferred” environmental choices. The federal structure of eco-information policy turns significantly on questions of institutional choice and policy design. The challenge for public policy lies in providing appropriate information to and educating consumers about how best to integrate environmental concerns into their decision-making. Ecolabeling reinforces a highly limited understanding of the opportunities for consumers to lessen environmental impacts and perpetuates common misperceptions about the environmental impacts of consumer choices.
