Proud to be sustainable: Upcycled versus recycled luxury products

Abstract

This study explores consumers’ responses to upcycled and recycled luxury products. The authors advocate that luxury brands producing upcycled goods might lead to higher consumer willingness to buy compared to luxury brands producing recycled goods. The reason for this is that consumers might attribute higher feelings of pride and greater novelty to an upcycled good than to a recycled good. When consumers’ environmental concern increases, upcycled goods are better for new luxury brands than for existing ones due to their increased fit with the former, wherein the effect is higher for upcycled goods. Based on findings from three experiments, this research enriches the theoretical understanding of consumer responses to upcycled and recycled luxury products and can help companies to develop strategies to launch such products effectively.