The discussions we have had this week have me envisioning a more transparent approach to the ways in which consumers are able to understand the environmental impact of a product. There’s an app I use sometimes (EWG HealthyLiving) in order to see the health impacts of drugstore products (ex. Lotions, shampoo, etc). You can enter/scan the product in the app and a rating will be displayed of how bad it is for you in terms of a number of health considerations, with 1 being low hazard and 10 being high hazard. (they take into consideration cancer risk, allergy inducing risk, asthma, etc). A hazard score is given individually for each of these factors, along with an overall aggregate score. Along with the hazard scores, the products also get a data availability score to reflect how vigorous the assessment is.
In line with what we have learnt about life-cycle assessments, I think it would be very interesting to take this sort of idea and apply it to products/services at a governmental level, where legislation ensures that a product/service is given a rating in terms of how it affects some of the different human health and environmental indicators that life-cycle assessments take into account (ex. Global warming, acidification, terrestrial toxicity, water and land use, etc). Consumers would be able to tailor their choices to reflect their environmental values, and products with too high an environmental hazard rating would not be allowed to be sold at all.
Obviously this vision be a very difficult thing to regulate and put into action. Would products not be allowed to be sold until enough data could be collected on them to provide such a rating? How would a rigorous enough rating process be ensured? I don’t see a system like this actually coming into place anytime soon, but it is clear that life-cycle assessment thinking needs to be done more in order to truly assess the scope of an environmental impact of a product, and there needs to be a way for consumers to tell if a product is environmentally sound without either being overwhelmed by too much information, or by being greenwashed.
Hi, Sophia. I agree with the idea that we need more information on the damages that product could cost. Currently, we are way behind from knowing and understanding the products we consume deeply and thoroughly. The advertisements are trying to inform us as well as misleading us. We need other avenue to get to know the truth of what the products really are. You suggestion definitely could be a potential method to do that.
Thank you for recommending the app!
I think your idea is unprecedented, but one that requires a lot of effort attached to it, but still very, very desirable. In this day and age, consumers are getting fragmented information and we need a more concise way to let people know exactly what the impact of their consumption and choices will be.
Once again, very practical advice, really like it.
I think your idea is really interest! Being able to quantify products and allow people to see which one is better would definitely allow people to select towards better products, therefore pressuring industries to adapt towards more eco-friendly approaches. A possible solution to the difficulties you see may exist in the form of AI: a system with clearly defined rules (that are regularly updated to close loopholes) would ensure a neutral assessment on products, thus allowing consumers to determine which one they should choose to buy.
Very interesting idea! I see this as a preliminary step towards a largely plastic-free society that would educate people on why certain materials like plastic are harming the environment and us.
Hi Sophia! Thanks for sharing, I didn't know there was an app that could tell you the health impacts of certain products that's super useful! It would be interesting to have an LCA rating on other products we buy, if not for individual categories of products than at least having it for brands would be nice. So consumers can decide whether they want to buy the bargain brand or the "greener" option!
Hi Sophia!
I remember hearing about a similar app. I'm so glad I came across your post as I will definitely try using EWG HealthyLiving in the future! It sounds like a great initiative.
I think your idea is very promising! Openness and transparency about data can help technicians assess environmental standards in real time and ensure that assessments are fair and accurate, but I think one fact that hinders this idea is that many companies fund environmental assessments as their investment rather than as a public good
Great post Sophia, sounds like an interesting app! I worry though, that even if this sort of system was implemented well, the government would still not be inclined to remove the harmful products from the shelves because of strong business lobbies. However, it would allow individuals to make more informed decisions regarding which products they should buy for their health and the health of the environment.