Identifying environmental health risks in consumer products: non-governmental organizations and civic epistemologies

Policy Summary

This paper is geared toward NGOs but carries policy implications for how to effect regulatory frameworks and industry. The changes in how consumers, companies, regulators and NGOs think about chemical risks can lead to political demands for precautionary action, regulatory science changes to gather more meaningful data, and perhaps more effective regulatory consideration of risk in everyday settings. In time, these developments may reinforce each other to bring about changes in consumer products. With creative strategizing about regulatory science and civic epistemology, NGOs can play a vital part in the transition to sustainable industry.