Iris Publishers_Journal of Textile Science & Fashion Technology
Exploring Consumers’ Understanding and Evaluation of their Ethical Consumption and Disposition
The apparel industry is in the midst of a watershed moment
for corporate sustainability initiatives, with a growing number of
organizations setting measurable sustainability targets across their
supply chains (e.g., sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, operations)
where the bulk of the ecological and social impact of the sector
lies [3]. Despite the increased corporate accountability for the
company-facing responsibilities of sustainability, the consumer
group that is actively engaged in sustainable consumption, or
“consumption that simultaneously optimizes the environmental,
social, and economic consequences of acquisition, use, and
disposition in order to meet the needs of both current and future
generations,” remains a niche segment [27].
Multiple barriers exist to the mainstream adoption of sustainable consumption among consumers, with the first being the proliferation of verbiage related to these behaviors (e.g., “green,” “eco,” “ethical,” “sustainable,” “slow fashion,” etc.). Consumers’ exposure to the range of, often inconsistent, terminology along with the trend toward corporate greenwashing has convoluted consumers’ understanding of sustainability and their role in its widespread adoption [31]. This confusion is exacerbated by the general lack of knowledge and awareness about the breadth of sustainability issues, which has hindered the mobilization of a sustainable fashion system [21,6]. Another barrier to the mainstreaming of sustainable consumption is the framing of the sustainability discourse [45]. Growing media coverage of sustainability challenges (e.g., climate change, resource depletion) has increased consumer awareness about macro-level issues and company-facing responsibilities (e.g., ethical labor practices, efforts toward more sustainable supply chains, etc.). However, messages that could limit consumption, the major driver of society’s economic growth has been severely limited and have failed to transfer responsibility to the consumer on a large scale [43,48,51]. The implications of this issue are especially apparent in the fast fashion sector where many organizations (e.g., H&M) tout sustainability commitments in their supply chains, while appealing to customers’ sustainability consciousness through programs that offer discounts for bringing their used clothing to recycle in-store [19]. Through these ‘corporate greenwashing’ practices, fast fashion companies have been able to avoid overhauling their inherently unsustainable business models while positioning themselves as ethically responsible among consumers [13]. What’s more, these superficial appeals (i.e., greenwashing; in- store recycling programs) to engage consumers on sustainability issues further perpetuate overconsumption because consumers believe that they are taking pro-environmental action through their patronage of these brands [6,28]. Therefore, consumers are not prompted to consider “that purchasing is always a moral-and not simply economic-act… [and that] the consumer has a specific social responsibility, which goes hand- in-hand with the social responsibility of the enterprise" [49].
For More Information: https://irispublishers.com/jtsft/fulltext/exploring-consumers-understanding-and-evaluation-of-their-ethical-consumption-and-disposition.ID.000536.php
Multiple barriers exist to the mainstream adoption of sustainable consumption among consumers, with the first being the proliferation of verbiage related to these behaviors (e.g., “green,” “eco,” “ethical,” “sustainable,” “slow fashion,” etc.). Consumers’ exposure to the range of, often inconsistent, terminology along with the trend toward corporate greenwashing has convoluted consumers’ understanding of sustainability and their role in its widespread adoption [31]. This confusion is exacerbated by the general lack of knowledge and awareness about the breadth of sustainability issues, which has hindered the mobilization of a sustainable fashion system [21,6]. Another barrier to the mainstreaming of sustainable consumption is the framing of the sustainability discourse [45]. Growing media coverage of sustainability challenges (e.g., climate change, resource depletion) has increased consumer awareness about macro-level issues and company-facing responsibilities (e.g., ethical labor practices, efforts toward more sustainable supply chains, etc.). However, messages that could limit consumption, the major driver of society’s economic growth has been severely limited and have failed to transfer responsibility to the consumer on a large scale [43,48,51]. The implications of this issue are especially apparent in the fast fashion sector where many organizations (e.g., H&M) tout sustainability commitments in their supply chains, while appealing to customers’ sustainability consciousness through programs that offer discounts for bringing their used clothing to recycle in-store [19]. Through these ‘corporate greenwashing’ practices, fast fashion companies have been able to avoid overhauling their inherently unsustainable business models while positioning themselves as ethically responsible among consumers [13]. What’s more, these superficial appeals (i.e., greenwashing; in- store recycling programs) to engage consumers on sustainability issues further perpetuate overconsumption because consumers believe that they are taking pro-environmental action through their patronage of these brands [6,28]. Therefore, consumers are not prompted to consider “that purchasing is always a moral-and not simply economic-act… [and that] the consumer has a specific social responsibility, which goes hand- in-hand with the social responsibility of the enterprise" [49].
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