It is often assumed that consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for eco-labeled products in research settings is not because of a desire for environmental protection, but rather that they are socially compelled to make decisions that reflects favorably on them, limiting the validity of findings. Using a second-price Vickrey experimental auction, this study found higher WTP for an eco-labeled product than a comparable good, but that social desirability bias, measured by the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale, was not a significant predictor of WTP. Instead, environmental consciousness, environmental knowledge, education, and available information were stronger predictors of WTP for eco-labeled goods.

The environmental burden of packaging is huge. However, redesigning packaging to make it more sustainable without damaging its other functions is not always easy and can have a negative impact on consumers’ choice. In this paper, we adopt a user-perspective and test the effects of packaging appearance and a better eco-label on consumers’ responses. Based on the literature, we designed an eco- label using a traffic light system with an objective sustainability score enabling to compare the sustainability of different packages. The results of our experimental study (N=120) show that while a sustainable (vs. typical) appearance in packaging has a positive effect on perceived sustainability, it has a negative effect on perceived usability. However, we demonstrate that the presence of a high score on the eco-label positively impacts the perceived sustainability of both the sustainable and the typical packages and the choice intentions. This eco-label also enabled to mitigate the negative effects of the sustainable appearance on perceived usability. Designers and policy-makers can use the results of this paper to positively influence evaluations of and choice for sustainable packaging.