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Tier count in traffic-light eco-labels

Author

Listed:
  • Erik Ansink

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Frederic Klapwijk

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

Abstract

We study whether the number of tiers in a traffic-light eco-label affects consumer welfare. We develop a model in which consumers observe price, quality, and the label tier, but infer a product's environmental quality ("greenness'") imperfectly. In that setting, adding a tier can improve the information content of the label while still lowering welfare near newly created cutoffs. We then use a discrete choice experiment on trash bags with two-tier and three-tier traffic-light labels to test the behavioral ingredients of the model. Estimated treatment effects in the choice experiment show that adding a middle tier makes respondents more likely to choose the highest label tier, increases price sensitivity, and reduces the use of price as a cue for greenness. We interpret these results as evidence that tier count changes both the choice response to the highest label tier and price-based inference. A structural interpretation also yields a positive estimate of the price-proxy parameter, and the three-tier choice data imply a positive but modest separation between the yellow and green tiers under transparent normalizations.

Suggested Citation

  • Erik Ansink & Frederic Klapwijk, 2026. "Tier count in traffic-light eco-labels," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 26-019/VIII, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20260019
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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