Influences on Consumer Engagement with Sustainability and the Purchase Intention of Apparel Products

Ana La Rosa,Jennifer Johnson Jorgensen

doi:10.3390/su131910655

Abstract

Apparel and textile products are filling landfills and contributing to extensive waste found across the world. Much of the textile waste is due to the typical consumer not being aware of the care for, disposal of, and sustainable options for textile products. To identify consumers’ intention to engage in sustainable practices and the intention to purchase sustainable apparel options, this study measured consumers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls. Data were collected from a sample of 397 participants through a Qualtrics online survey disseminated on Amazon’s MTurk. Results of the multiple regression analysis yielded three of note: (1) a positive attitude toward recycling and the environment is related to a higher intention to engage in sustainable behavior, (2) a positive attitude toward green apparel products leads to a higher intention to purchase sustainable products, and (3) family and friends and the convenience of finding sustainable apparel products in stores have also influenced the purchase of sustainable apparel. Thus, this study provides significant insights into both intention to engage in sustainable behavior and the intention to purchase sustainable products and serves as a foundation for future studies on the sustainable engagement and purchase intention toward sustainable products.

Highlights

The availability of fast fashion has encouraged less expensive clothing to become popular, leading to overconsumption among consumers
The survey items were presented to participants in a traditional online survey format and the adapted questions representing the theory of planned behavior (TPB) were located at the beginning of the survey, while demographic questions appeared at the end
This study highlighted how consumers who are invested in sustainability will be driven to purchase sustainable apparel and intend to engage in sustainable behaviors

Summary

Introduction

The availability of fast fashion has encouraged less expensive clothing to become popular, leading to overconsumption among consumers. It is clear that this increased manufacture and consumption of apparel products has an adverse effect on the environment [1]. Many apparel products that are discarded are of poor quality and construction or are not routinely worn by the consumer due to changes in trends or personal style [2]. Between the years 1999 and 2009, post-consumer textile waste in the United States increased from 8.3 million tons to 11.3 million tons of waste. The amount of textile waste per year continued to increase and was expected to reach 16.1 million tons by 2019. Most of this waste is 100% recyclable, but around 85% of textile waste continues to be thrown in landfills [1]

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Conclusion