Do second-hand clothing donations ‘do good?’ Thrift stores promote the message that second-hand clothing (SHC) donations ‘do good’ when they solicit donations from individuals. I argue that this narrative of ‘doing good’ overemphasizes the social and economic value of donated clothes and conceals the negative aspects of overconsumption and the problems associated with the commercial export of SHC. The aim of this thesis is to better understand the relationship between fast fashion, clothing consumption and disposal patterns, and the global trade in SHC donations by examining what motivates individuals to donate SHC to thrift stores, and how thrift stores are linked to the international trade in SHC. I began to map SHC donations from households to thrift stores. I used a global production network (GPN) framework to examine the social, political, and economic relations that contribute to how value is created, increased, and extracted in this commodity chain. Using a case study approach, I conducted 30 interviews with individuals who donated used clothing and I conducted research at four different thrift stores that sell SHC in Victoria, BC. / Graduate / 2020-04-17

The following Master thesis deals with the problem of clothing disposal in Greece examining primarily the psychosocial factors that influence this behaviour. More specifically, the author sets a theoretical framework using the Triandis’ (1977) model of Interpersonal Behaviour and examines how the factors included in the model influence clothing disposition among young individuals in Greece as well as to what extend they do it. Furthermore, the author explores the clothing disposition behaviour of the above mentioned sample regarding an old t-shirt.The thesis consists of six chapters. In the first chapter, the author examines the problem of clothing disposal in terms of how it is formulated and what are the environmental effects deriving from it. Due to the fact that there is no information about clothing disposal in Greece, the problem is examined in relation to countries like the USA and the UK and then the findings are connected to Greece so the reader can understand the importance of the problem in the country.The second chapter sets the theoretical framework of the problem by examining the existing theories and studies in the fields of disposition and clothing disposition. Moreover, in this chapter there is a thorough analysis of Triandis’ (1977) Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour to guide the reader through the rest of the paper.In the third chapter, the research methodology is analysed in respect to the general design, the sampling technique used and the questionnaire development and distribution.After setting all the necessary elements, in chapter four the author analyses the results of the research with a statistical method based on SPSS. Findings of the three research questions are demonstrated in this chapter with a small discussion regarding them.Chapter five consists of the discussion around the findings of the research. Under this section the author discusses how and why the psychosocial factors, as presented in Triandis’ (1977) Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour, influence clothing disposal behaviour among young individuals in Greece as well as the actual disposal behaviour.Finally, in chapter six of this thesis a conclusion of the findings takes place with parallel suggestions about further research in this field and some proposals in relation to the problem. / Program: Master in Fashion Management with specialisation in Fashion Marketing and Retailing

Background: Due to accelerating environmental problems caused by fast fashion sustainable business solutions become increasingly important. Thus, the following thesis examines generation y’s intention to perform in-store recycling at fast fashion retailers and investigates the factors most influential on intention. Besides, it analyses if an attitude-intention gap exists. To fulfil the study’s purpose, a combination of the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1985) and the norm activation model (Schwartz, 1977) is used.   Approach: Within this study a quantitative method in terms of an online survey is applied. Based on a sample of 326 respondents, relationships between variables are analysed with Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression. To further identify differences among groups, Independent samples t-test and ANOVA are conducted.     Findings: The study’s findings reveal that generation y generally intends to participate in in-store recycling, while the intention is significantly higher among women than men. The intention to perform in-store recycling is predominantly intrinsically motivated as it is most driven by individuals’ personal norm.    Value: The findings of our study particularly add value for fast fashion retailers and marketers by presenting a novel research model combining most relevant factors required to adequately address consumers among generation y to perform in-store recycling. This specifically allows fashion retailers to successfully establish the concept of in-store recycling. Our study is further beneficial for sustainability researchers, environmental activists, charity organisations and policy makers to create a more sustainable future.

Background: Due to the fashion industry being one of the most polluting industries in the world with more clothing than ever being thrown away, attention has been brought to the need for more sustainable clothing behaviours. Therefore, the in-store recycling boxes have been introduced as an alternative for recycling. Previous literature has focused mainly on companies’ perspectives or consumers purchasing behaviours, hence there is a gap for literature on consumers’ disposal and recycling behaviours. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine what factors influence consumers’ intentions to use in-store recycling boxes. This will be done by applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour by Ajzen (1991). Method: A qualitative approach in terms of two focus groups and two individual interviews was applied. The study was made on the consumers’ perspectives, and therefore the participants were 11 Swedish female students. Conclusion: The empirical findings and analysis toward previous literature and theoretical framework revealed that the main factors influencing consumers’ intentions to use in-store recycling boxes are lack of information about the recycling process, the possibility to drop off damaged clothing, and the developing possibility to make new clothing out of recycled materials. The lack of information had the greatest impact, which was unfavourable toward the intention to perform the behaviour and hence obstructed the participants from using in-store recycling boxes.

The textile and fashion industry is one of the most extensive and unsustainable industries in the world. Fast fashion companies, and the consumers purchasing, using and disposing the items, have an especially negative impact on the environment. Previous research does not provide deep knowledge of how environmentally sustainable clothing disposal is performed in word and deed as a part of consumers everyday life. However, this is needed to improve environmental sustainability. This research study aims to contribute to and deepen the existing body of research regarding this, investigating female members of Generation Z in a fast fashion context. Thus, the purpose of the study is to contribute with a current understanding of the practice of sustainable clothing disposal by developing knowledge about how consumers perform disposal activities post-consumption, as well as revealing the meanings driving the behaviour. In order to fulfill the purpose, a qualitative research strategy was used. Empirical material was collected through ten semi-structured interviews with female Generation Z participants. The study uses a practice theory approach, viewing a practice as a complex interaction between what consumers say and do in a specific context. A practice consists of several different activities and is dependent on three elements: competence, material and meaning. Furthermore, the theoretical framework consists of previous research on sustainable clothing disposal behaviour. The findings reveal that the practice of sustainable clothing disposal includes a number of activities performed by the participants in the context in question. Several central tendencies are distinguished; showing how female Generation Z consumers perform the activities under different circumstances, through routinised actions and communication in their everyday lives. In addition, the findings identify five different forms of meaning driving the behaviour. Accordingly, both theoretical and practical contributions are generated. The findings build on the existing body of research, adding deep and current understanding of sustainable clothing disposal behaviour. Furthermore, actors in the textile and fashion industry can interpret the findings of the behaviour and meaning-making, and hence improve their adaptation to the consumer. Ultimately, this can cause a positive impact on environmental sustainability.

I takt med att textilindustrin växer och konsumtionen ökar är det viktigt att belysa problemet kring hur man ska avyttra kläder man inte längre använder. Bara i Sverige slängs det varje år 7,5 kg textilier per person i hushållssoporna. Idag finns en mängd olika alternativ på marknaden som verkar för att ta hand om detta problem, såsom att lämna textilier i klädbutik i utbyte mot en rabattcheck eller liknande ersättning. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka drivkrafterna bakom textilåtervinning i butik samt huruvida initiativ som rabatterbjudanden vid återvinning kan stimulera konsumtion snarare än verka för hållbarhet. Undersökningen baseras på tio semistrukturerade intervjuer som genomfördes på kvinnor i åldrarna 20-26. I intervjuerna framkommer deltagarnas vanor när det kommer till konsumtion och återvinning men även attityder och inställning till butikers återvinningstjänster som innehåller rabatterbjudanden. Det empiriska resultatet har kategoriserats under tre olika teman; Medvetenhet gällande miljö och återvinning, Konsumtion samt Attityder och drivkrafter bakom återvinning i butik. Utifrån dessa teman har vi analyserat vårt resultat med hjälp av tidigare forskning och litteratur inom området. Resultatet av vår studie tyder på hög miljömedvetenhet hos samtliga deltagare samt att dessa försöker agera medvetet i viss utsträckning, men inte alltid prioriterar hållbarhet och miljö. Anledningen till varför man väljer att lämna in kläder i butik är främst av bekvämlighetsskäl, ekonomiska motiv i form av rabatt samt att man upplever att butikerna besitter kunskap om hur kläderna ska hanteras när de väl samlats in. / As the textile industry grows larger and overall consumption increases, it is important to highlight the issue regarding disposal method of clothes no longer in use. In Sweden, the yearly disposal of textile in household waste amounts to 7.5 kg per capita. There are currently several different disposal options available, such as handing in apparel in-store in exchange for discounts or similar compensation. This study aims to investigate the drivers behind in-store textile recycling and whether initiatives such as discounts can stimulate further consumption rather than promote sustainability. The study is based on ten semi-structured interviews conducted on women aged 20-26. The interview show the participants' habits related to consumption and recycling, but also their attitudes and thoughts about recycling services including discounts, offered by stores. The empirical result has been categorized under four different themes; Sustainability and recycling awareness, Consumption, Attitudes and drivers behind in-store recycling and The importance of discounts. Based on these themes, we have analyzed our results using previous research and relevant literature within the approached field. The result of our study indicates high environmental awareness for all participants and that these are acting conscious to some extent, however not always prioritizing sustainability and environmental objectives. The main reasons for handing in apparel in-store are convenience, economic motives in terms of discounts and the sentiment that stores possess the knowledge of processing the apparel once they have been collected.

Under de senaste två decennierna har konsumtionen av nyproducerade kläder ökat med närmare 30 procent per person i Sverige. Den ökade konsumtionen har medfört att individers klädavfall blivit mer omfattande och många gånger slängs klädesplagg som fortfarande kan användas i hushållets restavfall även om andra alternativ är bättre. Med utgångspunkt i detta och tidigare forskning som visar att unga människor är en högkonsumerande grupp undersöker föreliggande studie hur studenter vid Jönköping University som är bosatta i Jönköpings kommun hanterar sitt klädavfall. Med en webbaserad enkätundersökning samlades data in för att ta reda på vilka av klädavfallsmetoderna secondhand, textilåtervinning, återförsäljning, ge till familj och/eller vänner och restavfall som målgruppen använder samt vad som motiverar deras val att använda dessa klädavfallsmetoder. Genom att utgå från teorin om bunden rationalitet och tematiskt analysera svaren på enkätens öppna frågor visar resultatet hos studiens 73 respondenter att valet av klädavfallsmetod är komplext och i många fall begränsas av omständigheter. Sådana omständigheter beskrivs av studiens respondenter som bland annat brist på tillgänglighet, tid och information. Resultatet visar också att valet av klädavfallsmetod många gånger inte enbart handlar om att göra sig av med sitt klädavfall på ett smidigt sätt. För vissa fungerar klädavfallsmetoderna även som ett sätt att generera extra intäkter eller för att hjälpa andra människor. En kunskap om och förståelse för varför klädavfallsflödena ser ut som de gör kan vara behjälpligt för såväl regeringar som kommuner i pågående arbete för ett mer cirkulärt samhälle. Senast januari 2025 ska nämligen alla EU:s medlemsländer uppfylla direktivet 2018/851 om avfall som bland annat innefattar krav på separat insamling av textilier. / Over the past two decades, the consumption of new clothing has increased by almost 30 percent per person in Sweden, which has also caused individual's clothing waste to become more extensive. Clothes that are still wearable is often disposed of in the household's residual waste. With this in mind, and with previous research showing that young people are considered a high- consuming group, this study aim to investigate how students at Jönköping University, who live in Jönköping municipality, handle their clothing waste. The empirical data was retrieved with a web-based survey to investigate which of the clothing disposal methods secondhand, textile recycling, private resale, giving to family and/or friends, and residual waste that are used by the target group and how they justify their choice of clothing disposal method. Through a thematic analysis of the open-ended questions in the survey, as well as through using the theory of bounded rationality, the results show that the choice of clothing disposal method is complex since it many times is limited by circumstances. Among the study’s 73 respondents, such circumstances turned out to be, among other things, a lack of accessibility, time, and information. Furthermore, the result shows that for some of the respondents the choice of clothing disposal method is not solely about getting rid of the clothes in a comfortable way. For some, clothing disposal is also about earning some extra money or about helping others. Knowledge and understanding of why clothing waste is handled the way it is and ends up where it ends up can be helpful for governments as well as for municipalities in their ongoing work for a more circular society. By January 2025, all EU member states must comply with the EU Directive 2018/851 on waste which among other things targets the need for a separate collection of textiles.