A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW FOR GREEN PRODUCT TERM: FROM DEFINITION TO EVALUATION

Abstract

Nowadays, interest in corporate environmental strategies shifts from cleaner processes to the holistic nature of green products. The relevant literature argues that firms have the opportunity to pioneer through green product innovation, allowing them to differentiate and thus gain competitive advantage. Environmental burden of products during their entire life cycle is undeniable. Due to the weakness of the existing literature that inadequately addresses a commonly accepted green product definition, as well as the thereby caused inconclusive academic empirical results on firms' competitiveness, there are many cases of businesses greenwashing behavior. The overall contribution of this exploratory paper, on determining and evaluating the degree of greenness of a product, is twofold; first, starting with a systematic literature review, authors further contribute by proposing an integrative definition that addresses the so far existing terminological gap. Next, after reviewing the existing environmental assessment tools, authors based on the developed definition and in accordance to its dynamic dimension contribute to the existing methodology, as the paper reveals issues that need to be considered in the evaluation of green products.

Values and Green Product Purchase Behavior: The Moderating Effects of the Role of Government and Media Exposure

“…As a bigger component of sustainable consumption, green product consumption has drawn more attention from corporate decision makers, customers, and other stakeholders who propagate the idea of preservation of natural resources. Primarily, green products are those products that use less resource, have lower impacts and risks to the environment, and prevent waste generation already at the conception state [5].…”

Research Trends in Green Product for Environment: A Bibliometric Perspective

“…Hence, a new business opportunity for firms in the form of a market for green products has emerged [ 18 ]. “Green products” as a term has been coined largely within the marketing field, and its popularity has coincided with the environmental awakening of the consumer [ 19 ]. Thus, the field of green products holds special relevance to the domain of Marketing Management.…”

“…The other similar terms used in the literature for green products include environmental products, ecological products, eco-product, and sustainable products. There are more than 50 definitions of green products [ 19 ]. Researchers have linked green products with environment compatibility, environment protection, environment friendliness, environment sustainability, reduced wastage during production, environment-friendly production, social quality, ethical attributes, economic benefits, durability, recyclability, resource-conservation potential, toxic-free ingredients, low energy consumption, low emissions, less packaging, protection of public health, etc.…”

Research on the Evaluation of Green Innovation Capability of Manufacturing Enterprises in Innovation Network

“…Hsueh evaluates green supply chain innovation of the construction industry from two aspects of energy and environment by using a multicriteria evaluation model [24]. Enterprises can gain a competitive advantage by developing green product innovation and exploring the key factors of green product evaluation [25]. Cheng Hua and colleagues considered innovation input from capital, human resources, and environmental regulation, and treated environmental performance and economic performance as innovation outputs.…”