Environment Canada's Environmental Choice Program (ECP) was
officially announced in June of 1988. Its purpose is to help
consumers find products and services that reduce the burden on
the environment. Companies can apply to have a product certified
with the EcoLogo where appropriate guidelines exist. The EcoLogo
symbol takes the form of three doves intertwined into a maple
leaf with the accompanying words: "Environmental Choice". A 1994
poll conducted for the ECP found that only 37% of Canadians have
some level of either aided or unaided awareness of the EcoLogo
(Environics Research Group Limited, p.10).
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how consumers think
about and respond to the EcoLogo in the hope that the insights
gained will be used to tailor the program to better inform
consumers. Specifically, answers are sought to three research
questions: 1) are there any consumer characteristics that help
explain low recognition of the EcoLogo, 2) what is consumer
understanding of the EcoLogo, EcoLogo products and the EcoLogo
Program, and 3) what do consumers need to make the EcoLogo
program a credible source of environmental information to act on.
The methods used to investigate this topic included two focus
groups, forty structured interviews, inquiries to relevant
programs and a library search.
Three consumer traits were found to be impediments to consumer
recognition of the EcoLogo: the frequency with which consumers
comparison shop, the detail to which consumers read product
labels, and overriding consideration for non-ecological product
traits. Consumers understand the EcoLogo represents a connection
with the environment; however, they lack the knowledge that the
Canadian government is responsible for the EcoLogo. Consumers
need additional help in three areas: understanding the
environmental information found on products, accessing
information that gives the EcoLogo credibility, and accessing
information about quality, performance and safety of EcoLogo
products. These are referred to as "unheard messages".
A three step recommendation process i s made to the ECP. First,
licensees should be informed of all relevant research results.
Second, the EcoLogo should be made more prominent on products.
Third, additional efforts should be made to communicate the three
unheard messages.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/4393 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Bartman, Celeste Camille |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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