Is second-hand the silver bullet for sustainable fashion consumption?
(2022) In IIIEE Master Thesis IMEM01 20221The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
- Abstract
- Within the circular economy, alternatives to fast-fashion include second-hand clothing consumption. The narratives surrounding second-hand clothing have shifted from the stigma of old, dirty, smelly clothing to trendy, sustainable, and bargain items. The environmental benefits of second-hand are realised through the increased use-intensity and avoided production of new garments. However, these benefits rely on key assumptions about consumption behaviour which include the 1:1 ratio of replacement of new items with second-hand. This assumption is highly questionable, thus the potential for rebound effects should not be ignored. Using social practice theory, this study aims to investigate the practice of second-hand consumption and uses the... (More)
- Within the circular economy, alternatives to fast-fashion include second-hand clothing consumption. The narratives surrounding second-hand clothing have shifted from the stigma of old, dirty, smelly clothing to trendy, sustainable, and bargain items. The environmental benefits of second-hand are realised through the increased use-intensity and avoided production of new garments. However, these benefits rely on key assumptions about consumption behaviour which include the 1:1 ratio of replacement of new items with second-hand. This assumption is highly questionable, thus the potential for rebound effects should not be ignored. Using social practice theory, this study aims to investigate the practice of second-hand consumption and uses the insights to investigate rebound effects. The key results show that there are both economic and psychological rebound mechanisms present within second-hand markets. The income effect (economic) shows that consumers purchase more second-hand items due to the low prices. Moral licensing (psychological) shows that consumers become less critical of overconsumption because second-hand purchasing is considered morally good since it is sustainable. Alternatively, they feel good about not purchasing fast-fashion. This study has shown that the environmental benefits of second-hand clothing consumption may be overstated due to consumer behaviour. Overall, it is recommended that further investigation into rebound effects be completed to replicate the findings of this study with a larger sample and strategies that promote lower consumption rates should be prioritised by governments, businesses, and consumers. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9097155
- author
- Chetty, Emma-Kate LU
- supervisor
-
- Oksana Mont LU
- organization
- alternative title
- Understanding second-hand clothing consumption rebound effects
- course
- IMEM01 20221
- year
- 2022
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Second-hand clothing, moral licensing, rebound effects, social practice theory
- publication/series
- IIIEE Master Thesis
- report number
- 2022:08
- ISSN
- 1401-9191
- language
- English
- id
- 9097155
- date added to LUP
- 2022-08-15 13:35:21
- date last changed
- 2022-08-15 13:35:21
@misc{9097155, abstract = {{Within the circular economy, alternatives to fast-fashion include second-hand clothing consumption. The narratives surrounding second-hand clothing have shifted from the stigma of old, dirty, smelly clothing to trendy, sustainable, and bargain items. The environmental benefits of second-hand are realised through the increased use-intensity and avoided production of new garments. However, these benefits rely on key assumptions about consumption behaviour which include the 1:1 ratio of replacement of new items with second-hand. This assumption is highly questionable, thus the potential for rebound effects should not be ignored. Using social practice theory, this study aims to investigate the practice of second-hand consumption and uses the insights to investigate rebound effects. The key results show that there are both economic and psychological rebound mechanisms present within second-hand markets. The income effect (economic) shows that consumers purchase more second-hand items due to the low prices. Moral licensing (psychological) shows that consumers become less critical of overconsumption because second-hand purchasing is considered morally good since it is sustainable. Alternatively, they feel good about not purchasing fast-fashion. This study has shown that the environmental benefits of second-hand clothing consumption may be overstated due to consumer behaviour. Overall, it is recommended that further investigation into rebound effects be completed to replicate the findings of this study with a larger sample and strategies that promote lower consumption rates should be prioritised by governments, businesses, and consumers.}}, author = {{Chetty, Emma-Kate}}, issn = {{1401-9191}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, series = {{IIIEE Master Thesis}}, title = {{Is second-hand the silver bullet for sustainable fashion consumption?}}, year = {{2022}}, }