Moving towards More Second-hand Clothing Consumption: Measuring Anticipated Shame and Pride on Different Types of Concrete Environmental Knowledge

Abstract

The rapid growth of fast-fashion companies has led to a significant increase in clothing consumption, resulting in substantial environmental impacts, including high energy and water use, chemical consumption, and CO2 emissions. Although many consumers have biospheric values and are aware of these issues, there is a notable gap between their environmental intentions and their actual purchasing behaviours, known as the 'green gap.' This study aims to explore how different types of concrete knowledge about the environmental impact of clothing consumption, both negatively framed and positively framed, effect anticipated emotions (shame and pride) and, subsequently, second-hand clothing consumption behaviours. A mixed-methods approach was employed, using an online survey distributed among students and employees of the Hogeschool Utrecht and Utrecht University with a sample size of 169 participants. The survey included hypothetical scenarios to measure anticipated shame and pride in response to various types of environmental information. The study design was a 3 (Type of Knowledge: land vs. water vs. CO2) x 2 (Framing: negative vs. positive) between-subjects design. Results indicate a slight preference for the information on CO2 emissions and water use compared to land use, and indicate that positive framing has more effect on second-hand clothing consumption behaviour than negative framing. Furthermore, reasons behind the choices highlight the importance of the framing and communication of information. The findings suggest that tailored communication strategies which are memorable, evoke positive emotions, and give sufficient background information, could effectively bridge the green gap in clothing consumption. These insights are valuable for policymakers and stakeholders in the second-hand clothing industry for conveying information that result in more environmentally friendly consumer behaviours.