Introduction
The toxicity of manufactured products is currently a prominent issue for numerous populations. Including various chemicals in the solutions created for home use has been a useful strategy for numerous production facilities, as this method often improves the manufacturing process and can be cheaper in the long term (The United States Environmental Protection Agency, n. d.). Nevertheless, the majority of the substances used for creating home products have been proven to possess negative qualities, negatively affecting the well-being of individuals and worsening the environmental conditions (United Nations 2021).
However, regardless of the scientific findings on this topic, recent statistics demonstrate that most customers remain unaware of the adverse effects of toxic products at home, mostly relying on their efficiency and price (Moser 2016). The overall environmental awareness of the public is still considerably low, suggesting that some individuals are less likely to purchase ecologically friendly merchandise. From this perspective, it is essential to evaluate to what extent the home product users are knowledgeable of the goods’ toxic effects and how education might enhance the awareness levels. The current paper proposes a hypothesis for future investigation, describing a community project methodology to be implemented to improve toxic product awareness.
Study Hypothesis: Examining Ecological Public Knowledge
The safety of manufactured products and their impact on the surrounding environment has become a significant concern in recent years. As the ecological condition of Earth continues to deteriorate, numerous governments have proposed environmental safety initiatives, and multiple manufacturers have devised new ways of product development (United Nations 2021). Nonetheless, the tendency to use ecologically harmless goods and purchase environmentally safe merchandise remains considerably low, with the majority of the population being reluctant to buy such products (Malik and Singhal 2017).
As such, additional costs and the lack of trust in green goods’ efficiency have been presented as some of the concerns expressed by consumers (Moser 2016). However, some authors have suggested that ecological awareness might be a crucial issue in the creation of such an attitude. Buyers with a better understanding of the items’ environmental influence have been reported to manifest more ecologically friendly behavior, remaining aware of the dangerous chemicals present in some home merchandise (Malik and Singhal 2017).
People who purchase natural products and support companies implementing sustainable strategies are typically more aware of the overall threat presented by toxic merchandise and are considerably more proficient in outlining their adverse consequences (Olivo 2019). From this perspective, it is possible to suggest that possessing additional information regarding the environmental impact of purchased goods contributes to the buyers’ choices.
Following the idea of ecological awareness and its influence on responsible shopping, a question arises whether people are knowledgeable of the adverse effects caused by toxic products. Recent statistics show that information about environmentally harmful behavior is typically challenging to convey due to the lack of ecological activities and initiatives that support the distribution of knowledge (The United States Environmental Protection Agency, n. d.). In order to promote ecologically friendly consumer behavior and ensure that more sustainable merchandise is bought, it is essential to enhance the current level of environmental proficiency in local communities (Moser 2016).
By connecting with people who are unaware of the complications that originate from the use of toxic products, it becomes possible to enhance the overall level of awareness and promote more environmentally responsible behavior (Olivo 2019). In this regard, the present study introduces the following hypothesis: educational options and initiatives will improve the current levels of awareness about the adverse effects of toxic products at home among my community members.
Methodology: Conducting a Community Project
For the current research, I have chosen to start an initiative in my local community, offering the community members an option to improve their knowledge about green living and ecologically safe home merchandise. First of all, to conduct this activity, it will be essential to create materials that promote levels of ecological awareness and compel individuals to become involved in environmentally safe behavior. The presented information should be easily understandable and comprehensible, as well as inspirational for the readers (Moser 2016). It is also crucial to convey the importance of green living and the consequences of ecologically friendly behavior.
Research suggests that it is beneficial to distribute knowledge that can be easily remembered and utilized during the next shopping activities (Malik and Singhal 2017). Furthermore, the individuals must clearly understand the goal of their actions and the positive consequences that will arise as a result of the endeavor. Incorporating these elements often contribute to a better understanding of the knowledge and a higher probability of its implementation in the future.
From my perspective, the most effective method that allows us to include these considerations is the distribution of educational flyers. The core messages behind the benefits of green living and the dangers of toxic products can be easily conveyed in this form through the use of textual and visual materials. Although the information included must be concise and comprehensive, the presence of imagery can emphasize the major points of the flyer and allow for better retention of the knowledge included (Moser 2016). In addition, it will be possible to include particular examples of toxic products that can be found in local shops, potentially decreasing the interest of the audience in such merchandise.
The flyers will be created and distributed at my local gym, which is often used by the community members. This location is a perfect opportunity for connecting with various representatives of the community, including individuals from particular generations and with different social statuses. Educational flyers will be suggested for reading to the visitors, asking them to consider whether they are aware of the toxic effects that might be produced by the home products they currently utilize. It is expected that the suggested activity will improve the population’s ecological awareness, offering extra knowledge on the harm caused by ecologically dangerous goods and possibly affecting the consumer behavior of the involved individuals.
Conclusion
To conclude, the methodology for the present research has been discussed in detail in this paper, describing a community project that aims at improving the current level of environmental awareness among my local community members. Although utilizing traditional home goods production methods has been shown to enhance production efficiency, the outcomes of toxic product implementation might be disastrous for the health of numerous populations.
After that, the ecological condition of the planet has also been reported to decrease significantly due to the utilization of such merchandise. According to recent scientific findings, knowledge about the negative consequences of using toxic home products is essential for promoting ecologically friendly behavior. However, when people remain unaware of such gruesome outcomes, it becomes more difficult to promote environmentally responsible behavior. In light of this evidence, I intend to conduct a community project, distributing educational flyers at my local gym to enhance the population’s awareness about the aforementioned outcomes of using toxic goods.
References
Olivo, Tara. 2019. “WIPES Go Natural: With Eco-Conscious Consumers Continuing to Demand Cleaner, Greener Products, Wipes Makers Are up to the task.” Gale OneFile. Web.
Malik, Chirag, and Neeraj Singhal. 2017. “Consumer Environmental Attitude and Willingness to Purchase Environmentally Friendly Products: An SEM Approach.” Vision 21 (2): 152–161. Web.
Moser, Andrea K. 2016. “Consumers’ Purchasing Decisions Regarding Environmentally Friendly Products: An Empirical Analysis of German Consumers.” Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 31: 389–397. Web.
United Nations. 2021. “UN Chief Promotes ‘Enormous’ Benefits of Greener Cities”. U.N News. Web.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency. n. d. “Identifying Greener Cleaning Products”. EPA. Web.