Are Eco-Labels Valuable? Evidence From the Apparel Industry

Abstract

<p>Using apparel catalog data from the United States, we estimate hedonic price functions to identify market valuation of environmental attributes of apparel goods. We identify a significant and robust premium for the organic fibers embodied in the apparel goods. We also find a discount for the “no-dye” label. We do not, however, find any evidence of a premium for environment-friendly dyes. We further investigate the pricing behavior of apparel suppliers for potential heterogeneous pricing of the organic-fiber attribute and find no evidence of different premia across firms.</p>