As per a new study conducted by the University of Gothenburg, Sweden is showing quite a robust demand for sustainable clothing, specifically the one that avoids the most harmful production practices. It is seen that the consumers are generally unwilling to pay that extra for garments that meet the very highest sustainability standards.
It is well to be noted that more than 1,700 respondents participated in the study and chose between T-shirts having different levels of working conditions and health protection as well as environmental effect. Apparently, the health risks that were linked to chemicals in clothing were ranked as the most significant factor, followed by working conditions and, lastly, the environmental effects which make way for robust demand for sustainable clothing.
Besides, the study suggested that on average, consumers were willing to pay another 60–85 SEK, which is equivalent to $5.50–$8.00 per T-shirt, in order to go beyond the poorest production standards. However, in contrast, the willingness to pay so as to reach the highest sustainability levels was pretty low.
According to the researcher at the University of Gothenburg and also the co-author of the study, Daniel Slunge, there is quite a substantial willingness to pay in order to avoid the worst options and reach the regulatory minimum standards; however, there are relatively few consumers who are willing to pay for more enhancements.
Notably, the study was conducted both with parents purchasing clothing for their children and with consumers buying clothing for themselves. The outcome, or the pattern as we may call it, remained similar throughout both groups.
The findings go ahead and offer quite significant insights when it comes to the ongoing development of the Ecodesign Regulation by the European Union, which is going to introduce more comprehensive product labeling along with traceability requirements.
According to co-author of the study, Anders Boman, the inferences indicate that the producers could go on to cover quite a significant share of the cost increases that are associated with making their products more sustainable if such improvements are clearly communicated to the consumers. While most of the consumers are not willing to pay beyond the regulatory benchmarks, there are a set of consumers who prefer and are even willing to pay for higher levels in terms of sustainability. This set of consumers may as well form quite a prominent target market when it comes to premium-certified products.
