Consumer perceptions and actions related to circular fashion items: Perspectives of young Brazilians on circular economy

Abstract

The fashion industry is one of the most important industries for the world economy, but is also one of the most polluting. Some fashion companies have been adopting circular economy initiatives to combat this. Circular fashion (CF) results in cleaner production and reduces textile waste, but depends on consumer collaboration. Several studies analysing consumer CF issues worldwide have been recently published, but these studies are not common in emerging countries. This paper seeks to investigate the relationships between Brazilian consumers and CF. The methodology comprised a systematic literature review and survey. The main results show that, although young consumers are willing to change their clothing consumption habits and believe that fashion companies should be more sustainable, most of them never get involved in circular actions in the fashion chain. This paper seeks to fill a research gap on Brazilian CF, and contribute to both literature and the fashion industry in developing countries.

Analysis of Brazilian consumers' perceptions of cosmetics packaging from a circular economy perspective

“…As De Aguiar Hugo et al. (2023) pointed out in Brazil, waste separation and recycling policies are still very little used by the general population, requiring a change on the part of local governments to encourage selective collection.…”

“…De Aguiar Hugo et al. (2023) when analyzing circular fashion identified that young consumers are more concerned about the sustainability of their fashion purchases, as they indicated that they would like to buy fashion items made from green and/or recycled materials produced sustainably. However, most respondents never get involved in circular actions in the fashion chain.…”

“…De Aguiar Hugo et al. (2023) investigated Brazilian consumers' relationships with circular fashion. Employing a survey, they assessed circular fashion, knowledge of post‐consumption LR, CE, correct disposal of clothes, etc.…”

Mitigating the barriers of industrial symbiosis for waste management: An integrated decision-making framework for the textile and clothing industry

“…The global market size of the TAC industry is around 1.5 trillion USD, and it provides jobs to 300 million people (Papamichael et al, 2023; Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy, 2021). However, the TAC industry is a highly polluting one due to the excessive use of toxic dyes, water, chemicals and auxiliaries (Camacho-Otero et al, 2020; de Aguiar et al, 2023). Additionally, the popularity of ‘fast fashion’ by leading global fashion brands has compelled the TAC industry to produce more at low cost which led to a decrease in the average number of times a cloth is worn by the user (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017).…”