Conceptual Review on Apparel Disposal Behaviour of Consumers

Abstract

Conserving resources for future generations through sustainable consumption presents both a unique challenge and an opportunity for individuals in contemporary society. Sustainable consumption which is becoming a growing trend in the society advocates encourage individuals in affluent, developed countries to shift toward consumption that is more socially and ecologically sustainable. These advocates suggest educating consumers on environmental, social, and economic preservation as a means to influence consumption behaviors. As a subsection of general consumption, sustainable consumption also includes acquisition, use, and disposal behaviors. Investigation into disposal is necessary because it provides additional insight into the behaviors of consumers. The study of disposal is of particular importance in the context of apparel because the very nature of the product differs from typical durable and non-durable goods. In apparel consumption, the term disposal refers to whether a garment is simply thrown away, resold, reused, or recycled. Alongside, this study attempts to identify the different types of consumer apparel disposal behaviors and the underlying factors that affect clothing disposal behaviors. Paper followed an extensive literature review to build a discussion on theoretical and empirical contents related to consumer apparel disposal behaviors. Paper attempts to appreciate the application of different types of disposal behaviors with particular reasons. The literature review was executed addressing to key sub contents related to apparel disposal behaviors. It reviewed journal articles as the main source of information to organize the contents with empirical justifications. Finally, paper discusses the concepts of environmental knowledge, motivation, subjective norms in apparel disposal and how these factors affect different types of disposal behavior.