Sustainable Consumption in Second-Hand Fashion

The fashion sector accounts for a significant share of global resource use and waste, prompting a shift towards circular models that extend garment lifecycles through resale, reuse and donation. Sustainable consumption in second-hand fashion examines how individuals and institutions engage with pre-owned apparel to reduce environmental impact and foster social value. Research spans behavioural theories, ethical frameworks and material-flow analysis to identify drivers and barriers to consumer uptake. Key themes include moral emotions (pleasure, guilt), normative influences (social expectations), perceived control (accessibility, quality) and platform design (charity shops, online marketplaces). Empirical work links intention to action, demonstrating how targeted interventions—ranging from ethical marketing to community-based programmes—can scale reuse and donation practices. Global studies illustrate cultural nuances in motivations, while policy and industry applications address textile waste reduction, resource efficiency and equitable access to fashion.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have developed predictive models of second-hand clothing engagement in an emerging economy. In a large-scale survey of urban consumers in China, perceived sustainability values, personal responsibility and community cohesion emerged as primary drivers of intentions to sell or swap garments, while problem awareness did not significantly predict reuse behaviour. Critically, intention was shown to translate into actual reuse practices, offering a leverage point for interventions. A parallel investigation explored donation behaviour through an extended theory of interpersonal behaviour framework. Attitudes towards sustainable consumption, sense of community and hedonic benefits significantly influenced both donation intentions and reported disposal practices, while ascription of responsibility and problem awareness reinforced these effects. These findings inform policy and programme design by pinpointing cognitive, social and environmental levers to boost sustainable disposal and reuse of second-hand apparel.

Sustainable Consumption in Second-Hand Fashion publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainable consumption in second-hand fashion across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Circular economy: An economic model that prioritises reuse, repair and recycling to close material loops and reduce waste.

Perceived behavioural control: An individual’s assessment of their ability to perform a given behaviour, influencing intention and action.

Ascription of responsibility: The degree to which a person feels accountable for environmental outcomes resulting from their choices.

Theory of planned behaviour: A framework proposing that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control predict behavioural intentions.

Sense of community: A feeling of belonging and mutual support that fosters cooperative actions among group members.

References

1. Refashioning Second-Hand Clothes Consumption Through Pleasure, Pain, Seduction and Conversion: A Virtue Ethics Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics (2024).
2. Consumers’ motivation to purchase second-hand clothing: a multimethod investigation anchored on belief elicitation and theory of planned behavior. Journal of Product & Brand Management (2024).
3. Modeling the reuse intention and practices of secondhand clothing: evidence from a developing nation. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023).
4. Modeling the intention and donation of second-hand clothing in the context of an emerging economy. Scientific Reports (2023).