Consumer Responsibility

A sustainable future is placed squarely on the shoulders of the consumer. The consumer ultimately makes the decisions that drive what and how products are produced. Given that, producers need to consider what the consumer looks at when making a purchasing decision. The consumer's first consideration is individual utility, WIIFM. The consumer's second consideration is community utility, "What is in it for the environment and those around me. If two products are comparable on the first consideration of individual utility, producers can create competitive advantage by delivering products that A) have superior environmental/societal qualities; and B) provide information to the consumer about these qualities.
In the current environment, not many producers are providing essential information about environmental and societal impacts of their products. Therefore it is incumbent on the consumer to push harder for that information.