A stakeholder perspective

Self-declarations are the claims of manufacturers such as “ recyclable” or “ biodegradable”. These environmental labels affect different types of green consumers and their buying habits. D’Souza used a two-dimensional model to present the four types of green consumers namely, the environmentally-green consumers, emerging green consumers, price-sensitive green consumers, and conventional consumers (2004). These consumers are differentiated on the basis of their cognitive and non-cognitive perspectives, and the perceived product benefits and risks. They behave differently towards label information. It is necessary therefore for marketers and manufacturers to segregate their target markets and determine the category to which they fall. The type of consumer and their response to the label and ecological attributes of the product have marketing implications that must be considered in the design of the marketing strategies of companies.
Environmental labeling should be a primary concern of every manufacturer today because of the growing concern for environmental issues. Label information will help selective consumers to make informed purchasing decisions, whether they are green consumers or not.