Case study: Micro-meso-level theory - consumer socialization and consumption of clothes

Abstract

Consumption of clothes has increased in the western world during the last decades, in parallel with the development of consumer society. In Great Britain, the volume of clothes sold increased by 60 per cent between 1995 and 2005 (Morley et al., 2006). Also, in Sweden, private consumption of clothes and shoes increased by 53 per cent between the years 1999 and 2009. This high level of consumption has led to environmental problems; production of clothes requires numerous natural resources. For example, between 7000 and 29 000 L of water and 0.3 to 1 kg of oil is required to produce 1 kg of cotton depending on the location where cotton is produced (Fletcher, 2008). Also, clothes are often disposed of in the waste-bin rather than being reused or recycled. Assessments by the EPA Office of Solid Waste in the United States indicate that Americans throw away more than 30 kg of clothing and textiles per person per year (Claudio, 2007). Also, in the United Kingdom, an average consumer throws away 30 kg of clothing and textiles each year (Allwood et al., 2006). In Sweden, about 8 kg of textile waste per person per year are disposed of in the waste-bin (Carlsson et al., 2011).