Climbing the Fashion Mountain; A study into the influence of consumer awareness on the environmental impact of fashion
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2025-07-09
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en
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This study investigated how consumer sustainability awareness and attitudes influence the relationship between consumer behavior and the environmental impact of the fashion industry in the Netherlands. As concern over fast fashion’s contribution to global pollution grows, the study explores whether informed and sustainability-minded consumers diminish environmental harm through conscious consumption and usage patterns. Utilizing a quantitative research design, data was collected from 75 young consumers in the Netherlands via an online questionnaire assessing fashion consumption volume, sustainable attitudes, and clothing use behaviors. Factor analyses identified three key constructs with adequate variability: Consumer sustainability awareness (CSA), consumer behavior (CB) in terms of consumption volume, and life cycle assessment (LCA). Moreover, reliability analysis showed acceptable Cronbach’s Alpha values for each construct. Regression analyses revealed that consumer sustainability awareness significantly predicted LCA (p = .018), while CB showed no significant effect. Furthermore, moderation analysis indicated no significant interaction between CB and CSA. These findings suggest that sustainability minded, rather than quantity of consumption, primarily drives sustainable clothing use. Practical implications include targeting educational interventions to foster strong sustainability attitudes and addressing structural barriers, such as affordability and gender-based consumption patterns. This research contributes to the understanding of sustainable fashion behavior and informs strategies to reduce the environmental footprint of consumer clothing practices.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen