This study investigates the growing issue of clothing overconsumption among young adults, driven by fast fashion and social media influences. Overconsumption leads to significant environmental and social issues, yet efforts to promote sustainable fashion often focus on alternatives like second-hand clothing rather than reducing consumption rates.
The study uses the COM-B model for behavior change and conducts a survey experiment to test whether communication interventions can influence young adults to buy less clothing. Five interventions were tested: a control group and four communication strategies with different framing (positive, negative, social, and historical).
Key Findings:
- Communication interventions effectively influenced young adults’ intent to buy less clothing.
- The framing (positive vs. negative, social vs. historical) did not significantly impact the effectiveness of the intervention.
- Intervention strategies inspired by sufficiency, that is, focused on reducing consumption, can be effective.
Implications:
The study suggests that policy interventions should focus on sufficiency rather than just promoting sustainable alternatives. It calls for transformative policies to encourage mindful consumption and highlights the need for further research on the long-term impact of communication interventions on actual purchasing behavior.
Read the full report here.
