Sufficient consumption and sustainability

What is it about?

This study has proposed a three-pillar framework of potential strategies for fashion companies to foster sufficient consumption and reduce dependence on the sale of new items. These strategies aim to benefit both consumers and companies. This work provides a three-pillar framework for sufficient consumption in fashion and introduces ‘anti-consumerist washing’ as a form of greenwashing.

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Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This work provides a three-pillar framework for sufficient consumption in fashion and introduces ‘anti-consumerist washing’ as a form of greenwashing. The study examines the adoption of these strategies by ten top companies in the fast fashion segment through a qualitative analysis of their annual reports. The goal is to assess the evolution of their strategies between 2013-2014 and 2020-2021, the role of the 2030 Agenda's SDG12 in their adoption, and the logic behind this evolution. The results of the study show that while the adoption of these strategies is gaining momentum, companies tend to first embrace strategies with less impact on their traditional modus operandi. The flexibility of SDG12 allows companies to profess commitment even when not addressing the strategies to foster sufficient consumption. The study aims to raise awareness of this issue among stakeholders and provide practical guidance for managers to adopt and combine these strategies decisively. It also warns against the risk of "anti-consumerist washing" and proposes the study of a hierarchical pyramid of business strategies to rationalize consumption. Overall, the fashion industry is facing significant challenges, including economic and geopolitical factors. The industry's environmental impact is a growing concern, with issues such as excessive clothing production and waste, exploitation of labor, and carbon emissions. Efforts are being made to address these issues, but there is a need for fundamental changes in the fashion business model and consumer behavior to achieve sustainability.

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