Young Consumer Perspectives on Government Policy Interventions for Sustainable Fashion Consumption in the UK

Abstract

Sustainability has been one of the most salient issues in the fashion industry in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a reawakening of the environmental and ethical issues in garment production and consumption. Young consumers are actively raising their voices on the currently unsustainable state of the fashion industry system. Despite this, their perspectives on policy intervention in sustainable fashion are often overlooked. This study focuses on the challenges associated with sustainable consumption behaviors among young consumers and reveals the enabling factors that leverage sustainable actions via policy intervention. In-depth interviews were conducted to investigate the potential effectiveness of proposed policies in creating effective behavioral change within the UK market. The study found that eco-labelling and educational policies have particularly high levels of consumer support. Eco-labelling is considered a critical educational and awareness-raising tool for supporting sustainable fashion consumption; however, the existing labelling approach is inadequate due to the complexity of current terminology, lack of eco-literacy, and consumers’ distrust of industry claims about eco-products, flagging a need to ensure industry transparency. New attention-grabbing labelling, universal eco-terminology and more effective and transparent green communication strategies using a combination of physical and other digital communication are required.