Wearing pineapple leaves? Consumer responses to fashion products made from repurposed materials

Summary

The fashion industry has a profound, negative impact on the environment. One way to reduce this negative impact is to replace conventional materials with repurposed materials to make fashion products. Repurposed materials are materials whose conventional uses are changed into a new use. For example, pineapple leaves as agricultural waste can be repurposed into leather alternatives to produce jackets. It is unclear whether consumers would accept such novel products, Thus I study consumer responses to fashion products made from repurposed materials.

The most prominent finding is that consumers prioritise the quality of fashion products made from repurposed materials, which implies that companies should emphasise the quality of repurposed materials to be at least as good as conventional ones. Based on findings in three empirical chapters, the thesis provides more practical suggestions for marketing strategies and product designs to promote such products.