Consumer Perceptions of Recycled Cotton Fabric in Support of Advancing SDG 12: A Developing Economy Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijsbe.618Keywords:
Consumer Perceptions, Developing Economy, Recycled Cotton, Sustainable Development Goal 12, Sustainable FashionAbstract
Developing economy’s fashion industry continues to grow with a balance of environmental responsibility and creative expression; however, fast-fashion practices hinder the progress toward circular production systems. Within this context, recycled cotton emerges as a viable solution to reduce textile waste and advance Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12): Responsible Consumption and Production. However, consumer perceptions and understanding of recycled cotton and the process of influencing its sustainable adoption remains limited. This study explored how individuals perceive recycled cotton fabric and the extent to which their perceptions support sustainable consumption behaviour. This study adopted the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as the theoretical framework. An exploratory research design was applied with an interpretivist philosophical standpoint. A qualitative research approach was adopted, while data was collected from twenty-four (24) purposively selected participants, comprising of postgraduate students (16) and educators (8) from South Africa. An interview guide was used to collect data through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis using Atlas.TI identified several key themes, namely: reduction in pollution, avoiding landfills, promoting circularity, rejection of fast fashion, education, trust, variability and cost implications of slow fashion. The results indicate that participants' perceptions about recycled cotton fabric are anchored on environmental textile benefits, knowledge shaping sustainability choices, trust, variability and cost implications as barriers for utilising recycled cotton fabric. The study concludes with applicable recommendations and future study directions.
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