Improving the use of information and taxes to phase out hazardous chemicals in consumer products

Hazardous chemicals are still part of many consumer products, although they can cause serious effects on human health and the environment alike.

Two strategies to reduce the use of such harmful substances are the provision of tailored information to consumers and various types of chemical taxes. However, empirical knowledge on the effectiveness of both instruments is scant.

This project will therefore analyze how different types of information affect the knowledge about hazardous chemicals, risk perceptions and the willingness to pay for chemically safer consumer products (electronics, clothes/shoes and cosmetics).

An initial review will first systematize the knowledge at hand and will provide the basis for implementing two surveys: A first survey will collect information from Swedish consumers on knowledge, risk perceptions and behavior related to hazardous chemicals in products.

A second survey will then test the impact of three different information types on consumer behavior (hazard labels, a traffic light system, information on a hazard-based chemical tax levied on a given product).

These data will finally be used to develop policy measures on how to best phase out or at least minimize the use of hazardous chemicals in consumer products, using the optimal combination of improved information provision and taxation.