Changing Consumer Behavior
Author: Jean Hegedus
The experts agree that changing consumer behavior is difficult, but some suggest brands and retailers can lead on sustainability education and offer more sustainable fashion. “Retailers’ efforts will help change behavior not only about packaging, but apparel and other consumables, and the effect those ‘throw away’ items have on our planet,” said Amy Casella, Senior Product Designer. “When you make recycling and reusing products easier, people are more apt to do it.” “Mostly, innovations address new materials, but there is little true progress towards slowing down the pace of fashion,” explained Meri Lundahl, Chief Sustainability Officer at Teraloop Oy. “High-quality, durable, and sustainable materials remain something that a certain group of consumers appreciate, but a large bulk of consumers still buy fast fashion. This needs to be addressed to achieve true sustainability—or new innovations are needed to make fast fashion sustainable.”