AWARE of the urgent need to switch to more environmentally respectful lifestyles, consumers are gradually turning to sustainable fashion. Yet it can be hard to know what lies behind this notion of sustainability and, crucially, how and where to find more sustainable options. New research from the US reveals that, despite their best intentions, consumers today are often lost amid confusing information on the subject.
Sustainable fashion is a vast concept that visibly isn't always clear for consumers. Still, shoppers are nevertheless in search of trustworthy information as they seek clothing options that are less harmful for the planet, contributing -- on their own level -- to reducing the environmental impact of one of the most polluting industries. The vast majority of consumers in the US (86%) believe that sustainability is a good goal, according to a survey carried out by the biotech firm Genomatica.* However, almost half of those polled (48%) didn't know how or where to find sustainable clothes, and 42% were unsure what makes clothing sustainable.
Aware of what's at stake
Consumers are aware of the urgent need to shop in a more responsible way. Almost three quarters of US consumers polled (72%) said they were aware of sustainability issues in the fashion industry, citing issues like excess consumption, carbon emissions and water pollution relating to dye processes. More than half of people polled (51%) believe that Americans' clothing purchases each year result in substantial greenhouse gas emissions.
In light of this, many consumers want to take action, on their level, with actions and choices that are better for the planet. And this awareness seems to have grown with the global pandemic. In fact, more than a third of consumers surveyed (38%) who were aware of sustainability issues in fashion only became aware of them over the past year.
Consumers are looking to make changes
While they're trying to make better choices and navigate the changing fashion industry, consumers aren't short of ideas on how they could embrace a more sustainable approach to fashion. More than a third of people polled (34%) said, for example, that "if there was a store for sustainable clothes, I'd do all my shopping there," and 33% said that availability in chain clothing stores would make them want to purchase sustainable clothing. What's more, more than three in 10 consumers polled (31%) would support a "fast fashion tax" on unsustainable clothing.
Still, the very concept of sustainability doesn't seem particularly clear among consumers. "It's somewhat difficult to make sustainable choices because I'm never really sure what sustainable means, particularly with clothing," explained one survey respondent.
Despite this lack of information, consumers are still able to make relatively savvy choices. Almost six in 10 respondents (58%) said that they care about the materials that make their clothes and want them to not be harmful to the planet. Similarly, 47% rank clothing made with renewably-sourced or natural materials as a top sustainability characteristic, while a similar number (46%) include production processes with few or no toxic chemicals in their top three.
Consumers are wary of greenwashing
Still, consumers aren't about to go all-out buying anything and everything as soon as a brand starts talking up its sustainability credentials. Consumers are wary of marketing spiel, favoring acts over words. Almost nine in 10 consumers polled (88%) said that they don't immediately trust brands that say they're sustainable, while 51% believe that greenwashing is common in the fashion industry.
Consumers would prefer to have more reliable information from brands, notably to help them understand what makes a given product more sustainable than others (55%). Many are also in favor of the idea of some kind of sustainability label to help them identify sustainable options (50%), while for others (38%), clearer information about sustainability features would make them want to purchase sustainable clothing.
* Genomatica conducted this research using an online survey prepared by Method Research and distributed by Dynata among 2,000 teenagers and adults in the United States. The sample was composed of equally sized generational age groups, and an even gender split between men and women, with a nationally representative geographic spread of respondents. Data was collected from March 31 to April 8, 2021.
ETX Studio
Sat May 29 2021
Consumers in the US would like more reliable information about the notion of sustainable fashion. ETXStudiopic
KDN muktamad pembelian empat helikopter untuk APMM bernilai RM600 juta
Kertas kerja bagi perolehan aset itu sudah diserahkan kepada Kementerian Kewangan untuk keputusan akhir.
Tulis ancaman bom atas bungkusan, pekerja stor didenda RM3,000
Muhammad Rozali Rahim, 23, membuat pengakuan itu ketika pertuduhan terhadapnya dibacakan di hadapan Majistret Muhammad Bukhori Md Ruslan.
Kempen PRK KKB lancar setakat ini - Polis Selangor
Kempen PRK DUN KKB yang memasuki hari ketiga hari ini berjalan lancar dan tiada sebarang insiden tidak diingini dilaporkan setakat ini.
Buletin AWANI Khas: Asia Barat sedang ‘Stress’: Dialog menteri-menteri dunia Arab
Situasi meruncing di Gaza, konflik Iran-Israel dan ditambah pula persaingan kuat dua kuasa, Amerika Syarikat dan China dilihat terus membayangi percaturan geopolitik dan geoekonomi negara-negara Islam di Asia Barat. Beberapa Menteri Luar negara-negara Arab duduk sepentas di Mesyuarat Khas WEF, Riyadh dalam sesi ini.
#SpecialMeeting24
#SpecialMeeting24
AWANI Ringkas: Projek NTC | Sindiket Dadah
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Kilang cat terbakar, dua sekolah di Meru diarah ditutup
Penutupan dua buah sekolah terlibat iaitu SK Meru dan Sekolah Rendah Agama Meru 2 itu dibuat atas faktor keselamatan.
AWANI 7:45 [29/04/2024] – Meja bulat bersama 50 pemimpin industri dunia | Penggunaan komersial capai 80 peratus
PM yakin Malaysia jadi destinasi pelabur bernilai tinggi.
Kerajaan perkenal program solar untuk pengguna komersial.
Kelas Terapung dilaksana kawasan penduduk kepadatan tinggi.
Laporan Bank Dunia dedah hanya 58 peratus pelajar mahir membaca menjelang akhir darjah 5.
Kerajaan perkenal program solar untuk pengguna komersial.
Kelas Terapung dilaksana kawasan penduduk kepadatan tinggi.
Laporan Bank Dunia dedah hanya 58 peratus pelajar mahir membaca menjelang akhir darjah 5.
Malaysia perlu berani menentang Denmark
Hanya kemenangan menentang Denmark, kuasa besar badminton dunia, dalam aksi penting Kumpulan D Piala Thomas 2024 esok akan membawa Malaysia mendahului carta kedudukan.
Polis tembak kereta mewah bawa dadah lebih RM100,000
Polis terpaksa melepaskan tembakan bagi mengawal keadaan selepas pemandu kenderaan terbabit bertindak agresif dan cuba merempuh anggota polis .
Indonesia sokong pendekatan Malaysia bantu bangun 'peradaban' banduan Indonesia
Penjara bukan semata-mata tempat menghukum tetapi mentransformasikan ia sebagai institusi pendidikan yang memberi peluang kepada penghuni.