Outdoor recreation is becoming more and more popular, and as the number of outdoor enthusiasts is growing, so is the outdoor apparel industry. Outdoor wear has become increasingly technical with waterproof membranes and functional materials which are making the outdoor life more convenient for everyone. At the same time it has become clear that these new materials don’t come without environmental issues. Two recently highlighted environmentally hazardous substances in outdoor wear are per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in waterproof materials and microfibers from functional clothes made of polyester. The aim was to study the outdoor enthusiasts’ knowledge about the substances in outdoor apparel and their environmental impact, and if it has any effect on their consumer behavior. The study also tested if the intensity of the outdoor recreation has any impact on consumer behavior as well. The study revealed that the majority of the participants are in fact aware of the substances in their clothing and their environmental effects but this does not have a significant effect to environmentally friendly consumer behavior. The knowledge of the substances and their environmental effects was greatest amongst the people who are active one to a few times per month. The results were not totally conclusive and the question remains whether it is indeed the intensity of the hobby or some other factor like the purpose of being outdoors that steers the environmental awareness and consumer behavior of the outdoor enthusiasts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-143988 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | Talsi, Eeva |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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