TY - JOUR
T1 - What is the role of eco-labels for a circular economy? A rapid review of the literature
AU - Meis-Harris, Julia
AU - Klemm, Celine
AU - Kaufman, Stefan
AU - Curtis, Jim
AU - Borg, Kim
AU - Bragge, Peter
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture , Water and Environment (Department of the Environment and Energy at time of commissioning) , Victorian Government Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning , the New South Wales Government Department of Planning, Industry and Environment , and Environment Protection Authority NSW and took place as part of the BWA Waste and Circular Economy Collaboration ( https://www.behaviourworksaustralia.org/waste-collaboration/ ) [PURE ID 311856485].
Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank all the government funding partners for supporting this research.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/7/15
Y1 - 2021/7/15
N2 - Transitioning to a circular economy depends on transforming the behaviour of both producers and consumers. Product labelling schemes are regularly offered as a solution to support those shifts. While numerous labelling schemes and related research on the effectiveness of individual schemes exist, it remains unclear how impactful labelling is in supporting circular economy outcomes. The emergence of behavioural public policy presents new opportunities for knowledge translation in this field. This study provides a systematic, succinct overview of evidence using a rapid review methodology, identifying and summarising existing systematic reviews or reports. A comprehensive search was undertaken in three databases of publications between 2000 and 2019, yielding 4,875 citations. Following screening by two independent reviewers, 10 reviews were included. Several key drivers and barriers for adopting product labelling schemes among consumers and businesses were identified. The existing evidence provides limited support for the impact of labelling schemes on behaviour, the environment, and business. Overall, results indicate that eco-labels on their own are an information-based communication tool that is unlikely to create significant shifts in consumer choices or production. Conditions required for schemes to have optimal impact and recommendations to amplify impact drawing on behavioural science are discussed.
AB - Transitioning to a circular economy depends on transforming the behaviour of both producers and consumers. Product labelling schemes are regularly offered as a solution to support those shifts. While numerous labelling schemes and related research on the effectiveness of individual schemes exist, it remains unclear how impactful labelling is in supporting circular economy outcomes. The emergence of behavioural public policy presents new opportunities for knowledge translation in this field. This study provides a systematic, succinct overview of evidence using a rapid review methodology, identifying and summarising existing systematic reviews or reports. A comprehensive search was undertaken in three databases of publications between 2000 and 2019, yielding 4,875 citations. Following screening by two independent reviewers, 10 reviews were included. Several key drivers and barriers for adopting product labelling schemes among consumers and businesses were identified. The existing evidence provides limited support for the impact of labelling schemes on behaviour, the environment, and business. Overall, results indicate that eco-labels on their own are an information-based communication tool that is unlikely to create significant shifts in consumer choices or production. Conditions required for schemes to have optimal impact and recommendations to amplify impact drawing on behavioural science are discussed.
KW - Barriers to adoption
KW - Behaviour change tool
KW - Circular economy
KW - Drivers to adoption
KW - Eco-labels
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105059504&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127134
DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127134
M3 - Review Article
AN - SCOPUS:85105059504
SN - 0959-6526
VL - 306
JO - Journal of Cleaner Production
JF - Journal of Cleaner Production
M1 - 127134
ER -
