Complementing global chemicals management through shaping consumer behavior

Abstract

The rapid expansion of the global chemical industry, fueled by consumerism and economic growth, has created severe environmental and public health challenges. The current chemicals management approach primarily regulates the "production system", setting standards and imposing large responsibilities on the chemical industry. However, this approach has been found inadequate as it often neglects the vital role of the "consumption system" in driving chemical production and use, and pollution caused by chemicals. To address this imbalance, we propose a systematic integration of behavior-shaping tools into the global and local chemical management strategies, aimed at shifting consumer behavior toward safer and more sustainable chemical consumption. By applying ethical marketing and social- and behavioral-science techniques, consumers, including risk-sensitive groups such as women of childbearing age and children, can be nudged and empowered to make and adopt safer and mindful chemical choices, ultimately reducing their exposure to toxic chemicals. This consumer-oriented approach complements traditional "industry-focused" chemical regulations. Such an integrated approach (with management roles spanning across different stakeholders) is particularly required in regions with outdated or weak regulatory enforcement. Furthermore, fostering consumer demand for safer and more sustainable chemicals consumption will incentivize chemical industry innovations and encourage the market to move toward safer alternatives. Ultimately, a comprehensive integrated approach that focuses on both production and consumption systems could better strengthen global chemicals management, leading to improved environmental and public health outcomes and advancing progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

Keywords: Engineering; Industrial chemical; Social sciences.

Figure 1

Illustrating how behavioral shaping can complement chemical regulations, for instance, by influencing consumer behavior toward safe and more sustainable consumption, thereby minimizing exposure to hazardous chemicals in consumer products, and by driving market demand for safer products, thereby encouraging industry to better comply with chemical regulations, and manufacture and market safer and environmentally friendly products While this perspective outlines a strategy for influencing consumer behavior and thereby shifting the chemical market dynamics toward safer products, it does not imply that consumers bear primary responsibility for improving overall chemical management. Rather, this approach intends to complement systematic changes driven by regulations and industry accountability.

Figure 2

A summary of important actions for influencing consumer behavior, grouped by relevant actors