Consumers' motives for engaging in second-hand clothing circulation in terms of sustainable consumption

Abstract

An increase in the number of consumers engaging in second-hand clothing (in short, SHC) circulation is indicated as one of the main ways to balance the consumption of clothes. Therefore, the motives of consumers engaging in SHC circulation are an important issue that requires cyclical and in-depth research. This article aimed to examine consumers' motives for engaging in SHC circulation in the context of the implementation of sustainable clothing consumption in selected European countries. In order to accomplish the objective, 547 CAWI questionnaire interviews were conducted with consumers from five countries: Germany, Sweden, Slovenia, Lithuania and Poland. The main motives for engaging in SHC circulation indicated by respondents are directly - the ecological and altruistic motive - and indirectly - the economic motive - linked to the idea of sustainable consumption. At the same time, it should be noted that consumers are guided by several motives simultaneously, and despite pro-environmental declarations, in most cases, they are also guided by economic motives. The study results can be applied to improving waste management systems and, in particular, campaigns promoting SHC circulation.